The Spy Who Danced
by SilvorMoon
Summary: Newly crowned King Io and his consort Ryuu have just received an unusual coronation gift: a beautiful concubine named Akoya. Everything about the man seems perfect, almost too good to be true. There's more to him than just a pretty face, and he'll lead them both through a dance that could lead to true love... or to war.
1. In Which a Grape Causes Problems

Crown Prince Kinshiro had been sitting and drinking tea when he learned the king was dead. He put down his cup and stared at the messenger, trying to control his reaction.

"I see," he said, after a moment's pause. He tried to school his expression into something, if not properly mournful, then at least neutral. "Is there something I should be doing? Do they need me for anything?"

The messenger looked slightly nonplused, but he made a visible effort to collect himself and said, "Not at the moment, no, but your great-uncle did suggest that you might want to think about making a visit of state, or at least send a coronation gift."

Kinshiro blinked. "Wait. When you said 'the king is dead', which king were you talking about?"

The messenger blushed, obviously realizing too late that he had not been nearly specific enough. "His majesty the king of Golden Springs. The coronation of the new king will be in two weeks."

Kinshiro was perfectly still for several seconds, not even so much as breathing.

"I... see," he said, in his most carefully controlled tones. "Thank you for informing me. Tell my great-uncle that I will of course begin planning a proper welcome for him at once."

The messenger took this as the dismissal that it was and scampered off. Kinshiro waited until he was certain that the man was well out of earshot. Only then did he pick up his teacup and hurl it at the wall.

* * *

It would have been hard to find two kingdoms whose relationship with each other was more peaceable than Golden Springs and White Sands. The two of them dwelled side by side, isolated from the rest of the world by an expanse of ocean on one side and the arc of a mountain range on the other. For generations, the two kingdoms traded with each other, arranged marriages between their noble houses, and sent ambassadors back and forth to do nothing in particular because there was nothing left for them to negotiate. For years, Kinshiro had watched both kingdoms sliding into shabbiness, as their two kings aged, their economies slumped, and what little military force they had slid into disuse and disrepair, and he'd waited for his time to come.

Kinshiro had known for years that someday he would be king, and that this time would probably be soon. His great-uncle had never sired any children, which meant by tradition the crown would pass to a nephew or niece. When Kinshiro's parents had died in a landslide a few years back while visiting one of their neighboring kingdoms across the mountains, Kinshiro himself had become heir apparent. He'd spent much of the intervening time planning in minute detail what he was going to do when he became king.

His great-uncle had always been a frail man, prone to catching every illness that came along. He'd come near death several times. On the other hand, the ruler of the neighboring kingdom was a plump, hearty sort who never seemed to catch so much as a sniffle. It had seemed logical that Kinshiro's great-uncle would kick off long before his fellow ruler did, and then it would be Kinshiro's chance. As soon as he took the throne, he was going to start revitalizing things. He was going to tighten up the laws, get the army into fighting form, start revising old trade agreements and building new ones to get the economy moving again. He would make his kingdom strong, and then he would move in on his sleepy neighbors and take them down before they knew what hit them. After that, who knew? Maybe after a few years of recovery and assimilation, he'd be ready to move again, against his neighbors on the other side of the mountains or further down the coast. He could be the ruler of a mighty nation, once he got the chance.

"A grape," he said, not sure he could believe what he was hearing.

"So they say," said Arima.

Akoya frowned. "What a ridiculous way to go. It's unbefitting of royalty."

The three of them had gathered in Kinshiro's study to hash over the day's events. Arima and Akoya were Kinshiro's closest confidants - minor nobles who had attached themselves to the court, men whose bloodlines were pure enough to be suitable companions, but not so highly ranked that Kinshiro couldn't trust them not to move against him. Arima seemed happy enough with that arrangement, and had become something along the lines of an unofficial valet for Kinshiro, always at his side to offer assistance and advice. Akoya's rank was even lower than Arima's, but he was tolerated in court because his family's holdings, though small, were immensely prosperous, and Akoya himself was attractive and well-spoken enough to be an asset to court life.

"How on earth," said Kinshiro, "does someone manage to get killed by a grape?"

"As I understand it," said Arima," a server was carrying a tray of fruit down a flight of stairs, and a stray grape rolled off the plate without being noticed. The king followed him shortly after, stepped on the grape, and slipped and cracked his head on a stair."

Kinshiro gritted his teeth. "The fates are against me."

"It's not as bad as it could be," Arima consoled him.

Akoya toyed with a sugared date. "So who is this new king? What do we know about him?"

Kinshrio paused a moment to gather his memories, both of the papers he'd read earlier and his own more personal experiences. When he had explained to his parents that he would really rather not marry a princess, thank you very much, but if they could find him an available prince, that would be splendid, they had been accepting enough, and one of the possibilities they'd presented him with was the heir apparent to the neighboring kingdom. Kinshiro had found him a pleasant enough young man, but there hadn't been any particular spark between them, and he'd eventually taken up a different offer. By the time that arrangement had fallen through, Kinshiro's parents had been dead and Kinshiro himself had not been interested in pursuing any more romances. Still, he remembered his few meetings with the young prince well enough.

"His name is Io," he said. "He's already popular with his people - he's young and good-looking, and as practical as they come. He's particularly good at managing finances, which means he's going to have his grandfather's treasury filled again in no time. He's already announced plans to start making changes around Golden Springs."

"The same kinds of changes you were planning on, no doubt," said Akoya.

"Probably," Kinshiro agreed. "And here we are with our hands still tied."

"He hasn't made his changes yet, though," Arima pointed out.

"No," said Kinshiro, "and that's why we have to move fast. We have to find a way to neutralize this man now, before he has a chance to make life difficult for us."

"An assassination?" Akoya asked, startled.

"Nothing so direct, not if we can help it," said Kinshiro. "What we need is some weakness we can exploit - something we can use to arrange his downfall while making it look as though he brought everything on himself. That isn't information we're going to get just from reading spies' reports. We need someone on the inside."

"That might be difficult," said Arima. "From what I understand, he's not taking on a lot of new staff. In fact, he's letting a lot of people go. Slipping someone new into the household might be a challenge."

"He'll need people for his coronation," said Akoya. "Whoever heard of a coronation staying small and simple?"

"This one might be," said Arima. "A report came in this morning that he's planning on combining his coronation with his wedding to save time and expense."

Kinshiro looked up, suddenly interested. "Wedding? He's getting married already?"

"That's what it says," Arima replied, pulling a scrap of paper from the scree of them on the table and passing it to Kinshiro. "From what I gather, one of the first things he did when he first moved into the palace was to dismiss his grandfather's entire harem as an unnecessary expense, and the next day he announced that he'd chosen a consort. A _male_ consort - a childhood friend, they say."

"I'm not surprised," said Kinshiro. "Not about the consort being male, at least. The rest is troublesome."

He didn't bother to elaborate why, but he'd worked with these two long enough that he was sure they'd understand. Selecting a single long-term consort instead of simply replacing the previous harem with a new lot that was more to his tastes was further evidence that this Io was a man of restraint and self-control. What a pity it was that he couldn't be the type who could be dazzled by a pretty face, or who drank to excess, or who spent money recklessly. But no, so far, every report that came in suggested the same thing: that this man was cautious, practical and without obvious vice.

"Hmm," said Akoya. He reached for the paper Kinshiro had been studying, pulling the corner down so that he could read it. "So it's like that, then."

Kinshiro narrowed his eyes. There were those who couldn't see what use he had for Akoya. The man was very good at playing the brainless beauty when he felt like it, and he had something of a reputation as a dilettante. He was the baby of his family, and had never been expected to accomplish anything noteworthy. Instead, he had been allowed to choose his course of education for himself, and he'd shamelessly indulged his own interests, most of which were tied in some way to making himself look attractive or gratifying his love for pleasure and beautiful things. There were those who suspected Akoya and the crown prince of having a romantic relationship, but there had never been any of that there. Akoya was not to Kinshiro's taste, and Akoya seemed to prefer indulging in a string of temporary partners rather than settling down with a long-term lover. What Kinshiro prized Akoya for was his cunning. He was very good at looking at a situation and finding ways around it that other people might not have considered or might have balked at. For all that his appearance was soft and sweet, he could be utterly ruthless when it came to getting what he wanted.

"What are you thinking?" Kinshiro asked.

"I was thinking," said Akoya, "that there is a difference between what a man wants, what he says he wants, and what other people think he wants."

Kinshiro regarded him thoughtfully. "Explain."

"What I mean is this," said Akoya. "Here is a young man, attractive and vigorous, who is entitled to a whole harem of concubines if he wants them. Obviously, he didn't want the old ones because women don't appeal to him, but no one _really_ expects him to confine himself to one person when he doesn't have to."

"I think I follow," said Kinshiro. "You're suggesting that we might present him with a new member of his household, whether he wants one or not. Plausible, so far as it goes. Even if he didn't want the fellow, he wouldn't dare be so rude as to send him back."

Akoya nodded. "And it will be a very high quality concubine, of course. The sort with skills in things other than mere carnal pursuits - the sort who will be an asset to the his court in so many ways that the king won't even feel the temptation to be rid of him."

Arima looked amused. "Where are we going to find one of those on short notice? Particularly one we can trust to spy on a king."

"That's simple," said Akoya, preening. "You're going to send me."

Kinshiro and Arima stared with identical expressions of surprise. Akoya took a dainty sip from his teacup.

"Really," he said. "You don't have to look so shocked by the idea."

"Are you offering," said Kinshiro slowly, "to seduce a king to help me overthrow him?"

"Why not?" Akoya replied. "You said yourself that he is young and attractive, so it won't be any hardship for me in that way. I know how to conduct myself in a court setting. And I do have other skills at my disposal."

"That's true," said Kinshiro, thinking of Akoya's rather unconventional upbringing.

"Besides, it will be a nice change for me," said Akoya. "Things are a bit dull here. I could use a challenge."

Arima smiled. "Do you expect seducing this king to be a challenge, then?"

"Not," said Akoya, "for me."


	2. In Which More Royalty is Introduced

It was with a sense of relief that Io finally retreated to his room and flung himself onto his bed. For the last few days, it had been nothing but nonstop activity - first his grandfather's funeral, then his coronation and wedding, then the business of trying to get settled into his new job. He hadn't really had time to mourn his grandfather's passing, and even less time to celebrate the beginning of his marriage. He needed a break. These few minutes were the closest he was going to come to getting one.

There was a knock on his door. He groaned.

"Sorry," said Ryuu, putting his head through the door. "Wasn't my idea."

Io mustered up a tired smile. "Oh, it's you. _You_ can come in."

Ryuu smiled and slipped into the room. "Sorry to interrupt your nap."

"It's all right," said Io, sitting up in bed. "I wasn't really napping. Just getting some peace and quiet."

"Good," said Ryuu, "because we have a little situation, and you should probably figure it out sooner rather than later."

"Just a little situation?" said Io wryly. "That will be something new."

"Just a little one," Ryuu assured him. "See, Prince Kinshiro send us a cartload of wedding presents."

"So?" said Io. "Just put them in the treasury and we'll sort them out later."

"We did, most of them," said Ryuu. "But one of them is alive."

Io raised an eyebrow. "Alive?"

"Human," Ryuu elaborated with a wicked grin. He tossed a scroll into Io's lap. "Here, read it yourself and see."

Io unrolled the paper and contemplated it. Underneath all the stuffy formal language, it said only that Crown Prince Kinshiro sent his consolations on the death of the old king and congratulated Io on his wedding and coronation. As a gesture of friendship, the prince had sent a variety of gifts, among them - Io skimmed all the way to the bottom of the list - yes, one concubine. A whole long paragraph was given over to delineating his virtues, which were apparently many. According to the letter, he was a gifted dancer, could play multiple musical instruments, spoke several languages fluently, sewed and embroidered, was highly educated and could converse engagingly on a variety of subjects, was expert in compounding and applying a variety of salves and cosmetics, could perform multiple varieties of massage...

Io put down the paper and looked blankly at Ryuu. "Is this for real?"

"How should I know?" Ryuu asked. "I didn't exactly put him through his paces. I'll tell you this, though, even if he can't do all the things that sheet says, he's definitely a looker. I mean, _wow_."

Io smiled. "Tired of me already?"

"What? No!" Ryuu yelped. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I didn't go blind when I got married, that's all. Anyway, as long as he's here, you should probably at least come out and see for yourself."

"You know, I think I will," said Io, sliding off the bed. "I'm curious now."

The two of them set out for the reception hall. It was a pleasant room, with high walls and arched ceilings of white stone and an elaborately tiled mosaic floor. A fountain at the center of the room splashed gently, and potted plants stood in each corner and on either side of the door, while smaller trays full of flowers rested on the windowsills. High windows were open now to catch the evening breeze, but they could also be shuttered to hold in the coolness of the shade and the fountain at high noon, or to keep out a particularly fierce desert wind or the rare bout of rain. Padded benches lined the walls, where guests could wait to be acknowledged or just relax and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere. Today, there was only one person there. He smiled as Io stepped into the room.

"Your majesty," he said, rising gracefully to his feet and dropping just as gracefully into a kneeling position.

"You may stand," said Io.

The stranger rose, offering Io a bright smile. Ryuu had been right - this man was an exceptional beauty.

 _A little too good to be true?_ Io thought, a bit cynically. It seemed unlikely that anyone could have as many skills as the letter claimed this man had and still be so strikingly attractive. It would be easy for someone less skeptical to be taken in by those big blue eyes and that creamy skin, and overlook any deficiencies in his training. Even knowing that didn't make Io completely immune to the charm of that smile.

"Welcome to my home," said Io. "I am King Io, as you already seem to know, and this is Prince Consort Ryuu."

"I am Akoya," said the stranger. "It is my great honor to be in your presence."

Io waved a hand. "None of that. I didn't come here to be flattered."

Akoya merely smiled. "Everyone likes to be flattered."

"Perhaps," said Io, "but it isn't always the most productive use of time. I'd prefer to get straight to the point. What can I do for you?"

"You seem to have the situation reversed," said Akoya, looking amused. "You should be asking me what I can do for you. I trust you read his highness's letter?"

"I did," said Io, "and your qualifications are truly impressive, but the fact remains that I'm not in the market for a concubine at the moment. To be perfectly frank, I don't believe in slavery. It's a flawed system. I'm sure we can find you work somewhere, if you don't feel right going home, but..."

For a moment, Akoya looked completely confused. Then he began to laugh.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand," he said. "I'm a volunteer. I came here of my own free will."

Io narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"In service to my country," said Akoya grandly. His expression took on a sly cast. "Or perhaps I just want to parlay my unique skill set into a luxurious berth somewhere, and this seemed like a good way to do it."

Io couldn't help it - he laughed.

"Honest greed, eh?" he said. "Well, that is a motive I can understand, though it's perhaps not a recommendation to keep you here."

"I don't see why not," said Akoya. "If you refuse to accept me, Prince Kinshiro will be insulted - I have served in his court, and I can tell you that he is very easily affronted, and he will doubtless be crowned king before too many months have passed. You are not going to want him taking the crown with an insult from you still fresh in his mind. I am willing to make myself... hm, let us say _agreeable_ to you in a variety of ways in exchange for room and board and whatever other benefits you feel like passing my way. You will make me happy, I will make you happy, and we will both make the prince happy."

Ryuu laughed. "He thinks like a politician. Maybe he's telling the truth about all that training."

"Ah, I see - you think I'm just a pretty face," said Akoya, still amused. "Perhaps a demonstration of my talent is in order? I would be happy to perform for you."

"Ah..." said Io, momentarily taken aback. For all the laundry list of abilities that the letter had enumerated, his treacherous mind was only suggesting one thing, and it was _not_ something he was going to suggest to a complete stranger, especially with his husband still in the room with him.

Ryuu seemed to guess what was on Io's mind, and he smirked.

"I'm a pretty fair musician," he said. "Your letter said you dance?"

"Quite well," Akoya assured him. "Would you like to see?"

"Yes, I think that would be just the thing," said Io. He needed a break anyway, he told himself. A few minutes of entertainment would do him good.

Ryuu grinned. "Sounds like fun to me. Come on - throne room's this way."

He started for the double doors that led from the entry hall to the throne room. This was a large open space, even more extravagant than the first room. The floor was an intricate mosaic of geometric shapes in a rainbow of colors, outlined here and there with strips of gold, and the walls were hung embroidered silk banners worked with jewels and more gold. Frugal Io had considered selling some of this extravagance to help refill the palace's coffers, but he had not yet been able to bring himself to do it. He supposed that the room served its purpose, which was to impress anyone who entered it and remind them who was in charge here. It wouldn't do, he supposed, to bring visiting dignitaries into a bare, functional, cheerless room. He took his place on a softly upholstered throne, while Ryuu lounged on a heap of cushions next to him - a less regal seat, but probably more comfortable. A sitar rested nearby, waiting for Ryuu to have the urge to play it, and he settled it in his lap and began tuning it. Akoya paced the floor, seeming to take its measurements as he gathered himself for his performance.

 _He moves like a dancer,_ Io thought. His steps were sure and graceful, and carried a suggestion with them that beneath his soft outward appearance, he possessed a degree of strength that most people wouldn't expect. This was not, Io decided, someone whose idea of "dancing" was to shake whatever assets they had around and hope for the best.

Akoya took his stance in the middle of the room, head bowed and hands folded loosely in front of him, indicating that he was ready. Io eyed him thoughtfully. He really did look very appealing in the lamplit room, and every inch the dancer. He was wearing little other than an embroidered vest, a gauzy pair of trousers, and an assortment of bangles. His hair was pulled into a twist and held in place with a pair of ornamental hair sticks, and there were bells on his wrists and ankles. The silky fabric of his clothing shimmered in the lamplight.

Ryuu began to play, something simple with a nice rhythmic beat to it. Akoya listened for a few bars, then took his first few delicate steps. Io was impressed - the man was remarkably light on his feet, moving with perfect poise, flowing over the stones the way a gauze scarf would ripple in a soft breeze. Ryuu must have been encouraged, because he increased the complexity of the music, and Akoya responded with an increasingly intricate series of leaps and twists. As he was doing so, Io realized something. He had assumed that the bells were merely a flourish, but now he realized that each of the four circlets of bells had a different tone, and Akoya was timing his movements so that they not only rang in time with the music, but created a harmonic counterpart to the song Ryuu was playing. Io's esteem of the man rose considerably. There was no way Akoya could have known in advance what song Ryuu would choose, so he couldn't have rehearsed this - he was doing all this on the fly, and doing it flawlessly.

Then, just as he thought he couldn't possibly be more impressed, Akoya responded to a flourish of music by snatching the sticks from his hair. His long hair cascaded over his bare shoulders and swirled in the air as he danced. The ribbons that had been wrapped around the sticks unfurled into lengths of thin silk that he twirled in his hands, creating intricate patterns that floated in loops and spirals around him like some sort of magic. Through it all, he never lost the rhythm of the song, never let a false note ring out. He was moving almost too fast to follow now, skin glistening from the exertion. Watching him made Io's breath catch in his throat.

Ryuu seemed to think that the point had been made. He wrapped up his song with a flourish, and Akoya responded by dropping into a kneeling position, letting his ribbons flutter to the floor. He held his pose for a moment before raising his head to meet Io's gaze. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes bright with excitement.

"So?" he asked. "Do I pass muster?"

"I'd like a moment to consult with my partner," said Io, making a herculean effort to pull his wits together. "Wait here, please."

"Of course," said Akoya calmly, and began winding up his ribbons and putting his hair back in order.

Io grabbed Ryuu and all but hauled him into an antechamber where they could talk in private.

"Well?" he said, when they were out of earshot.

"I don't think he's an assassin. I mean, maybe you could hide a weapon under that outfit, but I doubt it," said Ryuu with a leer.

"Be serious," Io implored him. "I mean, do you think we should let him stay?"

"Search me," said Ryuu. "He's got talent, he's got looks, he's got smarts, but I don't know if I trust him."

"Hm," said Io, frowning. He felt torn. On the one hand, the idea of letting Akoya stay was very tempting, and not just for the sensible reasons that Akoya had laid out. On the other hand, he still didn't know if the man was trustworthy, and he felt ridiculous and a little guilty about longing for another man so soon after he'd married his lifelong love. The fact that Ryuu was being so indecisive about this situation was not helping. Io relied heavily on Ryuu to help him navigate social situations, and the fact that he was refusing to give a straight answer when Io most needed one was exasperating. Io decided to try a different tack.

"How long do you think it took for him to learn to dance like that?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Ryuu. "Years. He's seriously good. Wish I had his talent."

"And how long for him to learn how to do that plus all the other things his list says he can do?" Io persisted.

Ryuu shrugged. "Years, and I see what you're getting at. If he can do even half the stuff he says he can, he's had a lifetime of training. Seems a little much to think they'd give a guy that much training just to sneak him in here to mess with you. Even if they did, there wouldn't be _time_ to teach him to spy and assassinate on top of everything else."

"That's what I thought," said Io. "So it's a lot more likely that he is what he says he is."

"Probably," Ryuu agreed. He grinned wickedly. "And that would mean you can play with him without worrying!"

Io felt himself blushing. "That's not what I was thinking!"

"Sure you were. You were about five seconds from getting up and pouncing on him. I know that look - you've shown it to me often enough. And I know how you feel. He's definitely got appeal."

"So the idea doesn't bother you?" Io asked.

"Why should it?" Ryuu replied. "Look, we've been together a long time, one way or another. I know you - you aren't fickle. You aren't going to forget about me just because some pretty new face comes on the scene. I knew what I was getting myself into when I married you. You're a king. It was almost inevitable that you'd pick up a spare concubine here and there just for the sake of political alliances, if nothing else. I'm okay with that as long as I know I'm still your number one. Besides, you plan to share, right?"

"Well, of course." He hadn't _really_ been considering taking on any concubines, he told himself, but if he had been, it wouldn't have crossed his mind to say that _he_ could enjoy himself however he liked but that Ryuu had to restrain himself.

"Then I don't see the problem," Ryuu concluded. "As long as everyone is on the same page, it's all right."

"I suppose so," said Io, "but I still don't feel quite right about it."

Ryuu grinned slyly. "So are you going to send him back?"

Io was momentarily lost for words. Then he smiled back. "No, I'm going to keep him around to amuse you. How is that?"

Ryuu laughed. "Even better!"

With that settled, Io returned to the throne room, where he found that Akoya had produced a comb (from where?) and was lounging on one of the benches that lined the walls of the throne room, combing out his long tresses. Even in such an apparently unguarded moment, he had assumed an elegant pose in anticipation for when they returned. Io couldn't help admiring it, even as he distrusted it.

 _There's something here I'm missing._ Whatever the trap was, though, he couldn't see it. He had nothing that could prove that Akoya was anything other than what he claimed to be.

"Have you reached a decision?" Akoya asked.

"Yes," said Io. "A preliminary one, anyway. We'll still have to discuss the terms of your stay."

Akoya's smile was radiant. "So I'm staying, then?"

Io took a breath, vaguely aware that he was about to set something into motion, even if he had no idea yet what it could be.

"Yes," he said. "You're staying."

* * *

Akoya looked around his new room with a feeling of deep satisfaction. Everything was going better than he'd hoped. He and the king had spent a few minutes sorting out the terms of his employment, terms that Akoya found highly agreeable. Io had told him that he would not have anyone enslaved to him, and had insisted on giving Akoya a small salary in addition to his requested room and board. The room was a nice one - one that had originally belonged to a favorite concubine of the original king, in fact. It had been empty of furniture when Akoya moved in, but he'd been given permission to raid a storeroom for any furnishings he liked and have some of the palace staff help him arrange them to his liking. Between that and his luggage, the room was now quite comfortable, perhaps even an improvement on his old rooms back home, which had after all been a bit cluttered with fusty old family hand-me-downs. His new job suited him well, too. His contract required him to spend at least one morning a week in the palace stillroom, renewing his supply of the various soaps, lotions, and cosmetics he could make. Other mornings would be spent in a rehearsal room reserved for his use where he could practice his dances and gymnastic routines or play his musical instruments. His afternoons were free, and in the evenings after dinner, he was expected to be on call, ready to entertain the king, the prince consort, and any guests in attendance. Moreover, he had one day a week all to himself to do as he pleased.

 _This is going to be more like a vacation than a job,_ he mused, as he set his cosmetic kit atop his new dresser. His family had been lenient when it came to letting him choose his own studies, or he never would have mastered the skills he had, but they had also insisted that he make himself useful around the estate. This would be the first time in his life in which he would not be obligated to do anything he didn't want to do.

 _Even being called to the king's chambers..._

When he'd been told that the new king was young and handsome, he had assumed that there would be some exaggeration involved. People tended to romanticize royalty, or confuse natural beauty with the effects of fine clothing and carefully applied makeup. Akoya had a good eye, though, and his judgment was telling him that Io was exactly what he appeared to be - and what he appeared to be was exactly to Akoya's taste. Lean and graceful, with an aristocratic face, smooth complexion, hair like satin, eyes like dark topazes, he was every inch a king, and Akoya was looking forward to getting to know him much, much better.

That was probably not going to happen for a while, though. Akoya had been afraid that he was going to find himself keeping company with a lecher, no matter what the rumors said, but Io had turned out to be annoyingly reticent. Delicate hints that Akoya was ready to begin work immediately in whatever capacity the king desired were met with equally delicate statements that he should spend his first evening in the palace getting unpacked and settling in. The prince consort had looked as thought Akoya's offer had at least tempted him, but he seemed to think that Io was the one who should make the first move. Akoya supposed he could live with that. The consort was not so much his type, though he had to admit that the man had a certain appeal. It wasn't so much that Ryou was good-looking, though there was nothing wrong with his appearance. It was more that he radiated a certain vitality, a sense that good times were just around the corner if you were prepared to go along with him. If Akoya had to go through him to get to the king, well, that would be no great sacrifice.

 _A pity that I'm not actually here for the reasons I gave. It seems a shame to ruin such a pleasant visit with work._

Still, there was nothing to be done for it. He opened the lid of a small jewelry box, filled with the sort of small trinkets that someone like him might be expected to carry - pretty and tasteful, since he would tolerate nothing less, but nothing extravagant that would give away his noble origins. The inside of the lid had a tiny mirror in it, surrounded by mother-of-pearl inlays, but the real marvel of the box was that if the sides were pressed just so, a catch would release, and the entire inner compartment could be lifted out. Underneath, there was a soft felt pad, to keep anything from shifting or rattling, and also to protect the hidden crystal that was set in the very bottom of the box. That one small cabochon, a smooth piece of pearly gray stone no bigger than Akoya's thumbnail, represented a considerable expense, and Kinshiro had warned Akoya very sternly not to damage it. Now Akoya pressed a fingertip to the cool stone and felt it warm to his touch.

"Hello?" he said. "Can you hear me?"

There was a pause, and then Kinshiro's voice, sounding hollow and distant, said "Yes. It seems the spell is working correctly. What's your status?"

"I'm in," said Akoya. "They're a being cautious, but not unduly suspicious. At any rate, they've decided to let me stay. I'm in my new quarters now."

"Good. I can see I was right to put my faith in you," said Kinshiro. "For now, don't try anything clever. Just focus on making yourself useful and agreeable, but don't ask any prying questions unless it's something that would come up naturally in conversation."

"I know my job," said Akoya lightly. "For now, I make myself the perfect concubine, and if anything interesting should happen to come to my ears, I report it back to you."

"You understand perfectly," said Kinshiro. "I don't suppose you've learned anything of use so far?"

"Only that the king seems to rely heavily on his consort for advice," said Akoya. "I get the impression that his majesty is not entirely comfortable in social situations."

"Good," said Kinshiro. "Use that. Try to get in his good graces. If the king takes his cues from his consort, and the consort likes you, that will help. Even better would be if you could get the king relying on your judgment as well."

"Understood," Akoya agreed. "I will begin tomorrow by impressing them with the rest of my skill set. I think that will help them to accept that I am what I say I am." He smirked. "They seem to be under the impression that I can't possibly be a spy, because it would have taken me too long to learn all the things I know just to go on this mission."

"Then by all means, continue to impress them," Kinshiro agreed. "And check in again about this time tomorrow. I'll be waiting."

"I won't disappoint you," Akoya promised.

He removed his finger from the gem, and the connection was broken. He put everything back the way it was supposed to be, and then began preparing himself to settle in for the night. He undressed slowly, half-hoping that one of his new employers would send for him after all, but no such luck. Well, tomorrow was another day. He slipped into his nightgown, braided up his hair for the night, and snuggled into his cozy new bed.

 _I really am going to like it here,_ he thought, as he blew out his lamp. _And tomorrow the real fun will begin._

And with that pleasant thought, he drifted off to sleep.


	3. In Which Shopping is Undertaken

For the last several days, Ryuu had been watching Akoya.

This was not an unpleasant job. The man clearly knew his work, and he never set foot outside his rooms looking anything but lovely. Ryuu didn't mind that - he'd never been the sort to turn up an opportunity to look at attractive people - but there was still something about the man that bothered him, and he couldn't put his finger on it. That was why ever since Akoya had showed up, Ryuu had spent his free time observing him, trying to figure out just what it was about him that was ringing false.

It hadn't taken long for Ryuu to determine that everything in that recommendation letter had been true, so far as it went. Certainly he was a genius when it came to dance and gymnastics. He was competent as a musician, though not remarkable. He played several instruments well enough to serve as backup, or to provide pleasant background noise at a dinner party, but not so well that you wanted him to get up on center stage as a soloist. He put in his time making soaps and lotions in the stillroom, and since he seemed willing to use them on himself, they must have been acceptably made. He rehearsed diligently in his studio every morning, and sometimes in the afternoon as well. When he had free time, he amused himself by sewing his own clothes or doing bits of dainty embroidery. All apparently harmless pastimes, as far as anyone could tell.

Ryuu had not been convinced, and had gone on to make some more serious investigations. He wasn't very knowledgeable when it came to the making of cosmetics, but he'd snooped around the stillroom that Io had set aside for Akoya's use, and had chatted with the staff who secured the ingredients for him, and had concluded that he wasn't making anything more dangerous than ointments and skin creams. The guards had surreptitiously inspected Akoya's belongings when they'd helped to move them into his new room, and had reported that if he was carrying any weapons or poisons, they were too well hidden for a casual search to find. No one had seen any signs that he was passing information along to anyone else. Certainly no one ever went into his room but trusted palace servants, and Akoya didn't show any signs of wanting to go off by himself except to his assigned work areas. As far as Ryuu could tell, there was absolutely no reason to suspect him of posing any kind of danger.

In fact, in some ways he gave the impression of being not very bright. His introductory letter had stated that he could talk intelligently about a variety of topics, but Ryuu had listened to him carefully enough to realize that his knowledge of the world was broad but shallow. He was an agreeable conversationalist, but his primary skill was that of listening carefully, saying "Oh, how interesting! Tell me more" or "Of course, I quite agree," and then paraphrasing whatever had been said to him whenever there was a lull in the conversation. He could talk fluently about music, art, and fashion, but pose a direct question to him about, say, the history of Lithovania or the political state of the Arborean Empire, and he would laugh, toss off a witty remark, and change the subject.

In other words, he could do anything when it came to making himself attractive and displaying his talents, but he didn't seem to know or care very much about anything else. All of that suggested that he was exactly what he said he was: a vain, self-absorbed man who knew how talented he was and had found a way to use his skills to gain himself a comfortable berth.

 _But is that real, or is that just the face he puts on?_

Ryuu was inclined to believe it was the latter. Maybe it was just because he was _too_ perfect in his role. There never seemed to be a moment when he let his guard down and just acted like a person instead of a performer. That could have been just because he was still new in his position and trying to make a good impression, and then again, it might mean he had something to hide. Io seemed to be too busy to be very suspicious, so Ryuu had taken it upon himself to be suspicious for him.

At the moment, he was leaning against the doorframe outside Akoya's studio, watching him practice. Ryuu had to admit that it was very good entertainment. Today Akoya had suspended a length of silky fabric from the ceiling of his practice room, and was amusing himself by climbing it, swinging on it, and bending himself into various contortions while suspended from it. Ryuu watched with appreciation as the dancer dangled from one knee, arching his back until he could touch his toe to the top of his head. Whatever else might be wrong about the man, he certainly didn't lack for strength or flexibility.

 _Too bad I don't trust him,_ Ryuu mused, as he watched Akoya slowly work himself through a series of flips and twists. He really was very attractive, and judging by the delicate flirtations he'd cast Ryuu's way, he wasn't averse to the idea of the two of them getting involved. Still, the temptation wasn't so great that he was going to act on it until he was absolutely sure that there would be no danger in doing so.

Still, there was no harm in watching him practice.

After a few more minutes, Akoya finally seemed to decide that he'd rehearsed enough for one morning, and lowered himself smoothly down to the ground. Ryuu sauntered over to join him.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Akoya asked coyly.

"Sure did," said Ryuu. "Working on a new act?"

"I wouldn't want you to get tired of me," Akoya replied.

"Well, Io will probably be glad to know he's getting his money's worth, anyway," said Ryuu. "Speaking of which, here's your first payment."

He lobbed a little bag of coins toward Akoya, who plucked it neatly from the air and smiled.

"I didn't think I was so important that the prince consort himself would choose to deliver my payment," he said.

"I have an ulterior motive," said Ryuu.

Akoya leaned closer, looking interested. "Oh, _really?_ "

"Really," said Ryuu cheerfully. "It's market day. Come on, Twinkletoes - we're going shopping."

"Oh," said Akoya. For a moment, he looked downcast, but then something seemed to get through to him. "Shopping?"

Ryuu grinned. "Yeah. Isn't there anything you want that you haven't gotten from the castle stores yet? Or were you just planning on hiding all your earnings under your pillow?"

"Just give me a moment to get changed," said Akoya.

A few minutes later, the two of them met again in the entry hall. Akoya had found time, not only to change, but to wash up a little and re-braid his hair. He had abandoned his skimpy rehearsal clothes in favor of something that would protect his delicate skin from the glaring sun, and had even pulled a veil over his face. He looked very cool and demure, quite unlike the image he put across when he was dancing. This did not improve Ryuu's opinion of him. Anyone who could put on and cast off a persona like that...

 _Still, I guess that's a thing you've got to do when you're a performer,_ Ryuu mused. He found himself very grateful for his loving husband, who, though he could sometimes be frustratingly pragmatic, was also straightforward. You always knew where you stood with him.

"So, what are we shopping for today?" Akoya asked, falling into step with Ryuu.

"I have some things Io wants me to pick up," said Ryuu, "and then I thought we'd just wander around for a while and see what looks interesting."

"That sounds nice," Akoya agreed, and he actually sounded sincere.

So they went to the market. Someone else probably could have gone to get Io's things for him - for the king, the shopkeepers and merchants probably would have delivered - but this suited Ryuu's plans better. He led Akoya through the front of the palace and out into the busy streets beyond. Akoya seemed rather impressed by the crowds in the streets, and pressed nervously closer to Ryuu. Ryuu almost grinned; he was willing to bet that reaction was genuine.

 _So you're just fine inside the walls of a palace, but not so hot when you have to get out and mix with people,_ he mused. That suggested that wherever Akoya came from, it wasn't from the common rabble, and loaned strength to the theory that he'd spent his whole life being trained for a position like this one. Ryuu relaxed a little.

"Come on," he said. "We're gonna go look at clothes."

Akoya smiled. "My favorite thing."

They went to a tailor's shop, and Ryuu left Akoya contentedly browsing among the bolts of cloth while Ryuu picked up a few parcels for Io. As reluctant as Io was to waste money on anything, he had reluctantly concluded that he needed at least a few nice things to impress foreign dignitaries with, and the last few days had led him to conclude that he'd drastically underestimated just how many of those he would be dealing with. Akoya wandered over with his arms full of cloth as the clerk began folding things into parcels.

"Are those for you?" he asked, looking appraisingly at the clothes.

"For Io," Ryuu explained.

"Ah, that explains it," said Akoya. "They really aren't your color, but they should suit him nicely. Not what I would have selected, perhaps, but certainly flattering."

"So what would suit me?" Ryuu asked.

Akoya looked around, his face very serious. For a few seconds, his usual veneer of slightly feather-brained good nature fell away, and he examined the offerings around him with a keenly critical eye. Then he darted forward and seized on a couple of bolts of cloth.

"These," he declared. "This for the main portion, and this for the trim."

Ryuu contemplated the selection. The fabric Akoya was showing him was beautifully textured and obviously expensive, but Ryuu had to admit it would probably suit his coloring perfectly.

"Got any ideas what you'd make out of it?" he asked.

"I have a few thoughts," said Akoya.

Ryuu shrugged. "Well, if you feel like working on it in your free time, go ahead and add it to the order."

Akoya looked pleased, so Ryuu stood by while a few yards of fabric and some assorted bits of trim were added to the bill. Io would be annoyed by the extravagance, but Ryuu would repay him later, one way or another. Besides, Io might look at good clothes as a mere necessity, but Ryuu actually enjoyed being well turned out. He was curious to see what Akoya would do for him.

They went to a stationer's next. Akoya was less fascinated by paper and ink, but he did seem to take some moderate enjoyment from the bookshop they visited. He walked out with a couple of volumes of poetry and a romantic novel under his arm.

"Not that I've had a lot of time to read these days," said Akoya. "I've been so much busier than I expected to be..."

Ryuu gave him a sidelong look. "Any regrets, then? Because you know Io would still get you a job elsewhere if you don't like this."

"Oh, no!" said Akoya, looking genuinely distressed. "I'm very content here. I'm enjoying myself very much. It's only that I used to read more before I was working full time, as it were."

"So what kinds of things did you used to do for fun?" Ryuu asked casually.

Akoya smiled. "More or less what I'm doing now, only I didn't get paid for it."

And that, Ryuu reflected, was a typical Akoya answer - apt, witty, and not terribly informative.

"We still have some time left," said Ryuu. "Anything else you want to see before it gets dark?"

Akoya looked around at the bustling street of shops and roadside vendors.

"Let's go in there," he said, pointing.

Ryuu shrugged. "Good enough for me."

He was not at all surprised that the shop Akoya had pointed to dealt in small decorative trinkets. In his opinion, there were enough of those at home, but he could see that Akoya was thoroughly delighted. He leaned against the wall and watched with amusement as Akoya flitted about like a honeybee among flowers, trying to admire everything at once and exclaiming over the particularly exciting finds. He looked so genuinely excited about it all that Ryuu found himself smiling.

 _Whatever else he's trying to put over, this is real,_ he decided.

"See anything you especially like?" Ryuu asked. "If there's something you really want, I'l get it for you."

Akoya turned towards him, eyes wide. "Really? Anything I want?"

"Sure," said Ryuu. After all, nothing in this shop was really _that_ expensive. "Consider it a welcome present from me."

What followed was several minutes of Akoya carefully examining everything in the store, frequently changing his mind, and generally agonizing over the decision. At last, he settled on a blown glass and crystal rose and offered it up for Ryuu's approval. It really did glitter beautifully in the light, and Akoya positively glowed as the shopkeeper wrapped it carefully in a puff of wool so he could transport it home. He skipped out of the shop with eyes sparkling and cheeks flushed, literally dancing with pleasure. Ryuu had to laugh at seeing him so excited.

"What's so funny?" Akoya asked him.

"Nothing, nothing," Ryuu assured him. "Come on, time to get home before Io misses us."

They strolled down the quieting street, enjoying the slowly fading light of the sunset. This trip, Ryuu decided, had been a good idea. He felt a lot more relaxed.

 _I'm sure I'm seeing the real you,_ he thought, watching Akoya clutch his new treasure to his chest. _Call me a sentimental softy, but I can't believe any guy is all bad who gets this excited over a sparkly flower._

"You know what?" he said. "I think you're going to do all right here."

Akoya smiled at him. "I certainly do hope so."

* * *

"...and he actually bought me a glass flower," Akoya was saying. He sounded happy. Trust Akoya, Kinshiro thought, to forget he was on a serious mission when presented with something shiny.

"So you think you're in his good graces now?" Kinshiro asked.

"I believe he's starting to trust me, yes," Akoya agreed. "He thinks I don't know he's been snooping, but he hasn't been able to pin a thing on me, so he's beginning to relax."

"That's good," said Kinshiro, "but don't forget who our real target is."

"Of course," said Akoya. "I'm doing my best, but he's more reserved than the prince consort is. I am going to have to alter my strategy a bit."

"Do what you have to do," Kinshiro told him. "I understand needing to establish your credentials, but I need results. We don't have an infinite amount of time here."

"I have an idea for something I can try," Akoya said reassuringly. "Don't worry. Just a few more days and I'll have them eating out of my hand."

"You had better," said Kinshiro. "I'm counting on you."

He closed the connection and sat back in his chair. He was beginning to have doubts about this operation. Akoya, he was beginning to feel, was having too much fun with his assignment. That had always been a danger with him: he was by nature self-indulgent, and given a choice between something he wanted to do and something he ought to do, he would always take the thing he wanted first and worry about responsibilities later, trusting in his own cunning and charm to get him out of any consequences.

 _That's going to get you in trouble someday,_ Kinshiro mused.

Without his meaning to, Kinshiro's gaze strayed to the top of his wardrobe, where a wooden box had been pushed against the wall, almost out of sight behind the decorative carving above the doors. He hadn't touched that box in months, not since he'd returned home from the Arborean Empire. He should have thrown its contents onto the fire as soon as he'd gotten home, if not sooner, but somehow he'd never been able to make himself do it. Instead, he'd shoved it into the most invisible and inaccessible corner of his room he could find, behind the spare blankets and extra pillows, and left it to gather dust. He could open it right now, if he wanted to. He could leaf through the stack of papers and relive those few weeks when he hadn't been thinking about becoming king at all.

The Arborean Empire was a large and loosely-allied collection of small fiefdoms and baronies, most of which ruled themselves quite nicely without any interference from their empress. The imperial family was matrilineal, and had very little use for a few extra princes. They'd been more than happy to offer Kinshiro his pick of the available young men if it meant making a useful alliance. Kinshiro had gone out hoping to meet someone he could get along with, someone intelligent enough to be an asset to the kingdom and pleasant enough that he wouldn't mind spending time with them. Maybe, though this seemed like a lot to hope for, there would be genuine friendship with one of them.

What he'd found was Atsushi. Dear Atsushi, with his warm eyes and gentle hands... it had been nearly a year since Kinshiro had seen him, but he could still remember the sound of his laughter and the way the sunlight picked out the blue highlights in his hair. The two of them had spent hours together, walking around and around the imperial gardens, talking about whatever came to their minds. In the evenings, they sat by the fire and took turns reading to each other, or went up on one of the towers to wrap up in a blanket and each other's arms to gaze at the stars. Kinshiro had been sure that when he left the empire, it would be with Atsushi by his side.

Instead, he'd returned home with nothing but a broken heart, a more cynical view of the world, and a box of letters and tokens that he couldn't bear to throw away.

 _I won't ever be fooled like that again,_ he told himself, resolutely turning his back on the wardrobe and its burden. _But Akoya still might._

Akoya was just so utterly confident in himself. He had the most unshakable belief that he could never be caught, and an equal belief that there was no one who could resist his charms if he wanted them. If he was wrong, though - if his resolve slipped and one or the other of these two handsome, charming men were to get past his defenses - there was no way it wasn't going to be a disaster.

 _And I'm not allowing any more disasters on my watch,_ Kinshiro thought grimly. He slowly turned over the enchanted crystal that had so recently broadcast Akoya's voice. _And no more betrayals, either._


	4. In Which Io Loosens Up

"All right," said Io, trying not to look stiff as he arose from his throne. "I believe that's the end of today's session. Court is closed."

The petitioners who had not yet had the chance to air their grievances murmured their disappointment and filed out of the room, in some cases hustled along by the palace guards. Io himself slipped out the back way and began shuffling towards his rooms. He rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing. It was bad enough having to sit bolt upright and alert in that over-decorated chair for hours, but listening to a lot of people complaining about things that they could have sorted out themselves if they'd been more willing to compromise was torturous.

 _I can't imagine why anyone thinks they want to be a king,_ he mused. He paused to lean against a wall and rub at his tired eyes. The day was barely half over, and already he was exhausted.

"Are you feeling all right, your majesty?"

The voice was gentle, soothing, and closer than Io had expected. He jumped, realizing someone had crept up on him while he wasn't paying attention. Akoya gave him an apologetic smile.

"My apologies, sire," he said. "It seems I move very lightly."

"That's all right," said Io. "I was just resting my eyes, that's all."

"You were rubbing your neck," Akoya observed, stepping a little closer. He gave Io a swift appraising glance. "I'm guessing your shoulders are bothering you, too, and probably your back as well."

Io made a face. "Does it show that much?"

"Only to the trained eye," Akoya assured him. "And anyway, I watched you a while from the edge of the crowd, and I can guess what sitting in that awful chair must be doing to you."

"It's only a little stiffness," said Io. "It will pass."

Akoya flashed a winning smile. "I know something that would make you feel better."

Io's expression must have been truly eloquent, because Akoya laughed.

"No, I'm not making advances," said Akoya. "But I am trained in massage, as I believe my introductory letter stated. You aren't making the best use of me if you aren't taking advantage of all of my talents."

"I suppose that's a point," said Io.

"Go on, give it a try," Akoya encouraged. "It won't take long, and I promise you'll feel better when I'm done."

Io vacillated. On the one hand, he still wasn't quite sure what to make of Akoya. A small part of him was afraid that if he let himself get within touching distance, his self-control wouldn't hold out. On the other hand, he hated to pay for something he wasn't getting, and he imagined that Akoya was right - he _would_ feel better if someone was there to rub the tension out of his aching muscles.

"If it won't take long," he said.

Akoya smiled. "Very good. Just let me go and get some things. Where would you prefer me to work? Your room, my room, somewhere else?"

That was another tricky question.

"My room," he decided. He had never allowed Akoya into his own private space before, but it still seemed somehow less like giving ground than it would be if he'd agreed to go into Akoya's room. At least his own room would feel like he was still in a position of authority. That was harder to pull off on someone else's turf.

"I'll meet you there, then," said Akoya.

He flitted off, long hair trailing behind him. Io watched him go, thinking that even when he wasn't dancing, he was still graceful.

 _What have I let myself in for?_ he wondered, and then shook his head. Why was he letting himself get so nervous? He was still the king, Akoya was still his servant, and if Io told him to stop, he had to stop.

 _And it isn't as if you haven't got permission to touch him,_ said a little voice in his head that he tried not to listen to.

Forcing his thoughts back to purely innocent lines, Io took himself to his room and settled in to wait.

Fortunately for his nerves, he didn't have to wait long. Within a few minutes, Akoya reappeared, carrying a tray with several folded cloths and a bottle of some unidentifiable liquid.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," said Akoya lightly. He set down his burden on a small end table and turned to shut the door firmly behind him. "I hope you're ready to begin?"

"I suppose so," said Io.

Akoya laughed. "You sound so dubious. I begin to think you distrust my motives. Well, allow me to dismay you further. I'm going to ask you to remove your shirt and lie face-down, please."

Io did find this slightly alarming, but the offhand tone helped. So did the knowledge that after all, Akoya had only asked him to take his _shirt_ off. He removed the required clothing and lay bare-chested on his bed, grateful that the pillows hid his expression.

Akoya chuckled softly. "I'm trying to make you _less_ tense. Try to work with me, won't you?"

"Sorry," said Io sheepishly.

"It's all right. Just relax," said Akoya. His voice was low and soothing, and Io relaxed a little in spite of himself.

There was a soft pop as Akoya uncorked his bottle, and then a soft rustling as he rubbed whatever was in it onto his hands. Then Io felt gentle fingers brushing the back of his neck. They were probing delicately, seeking out all the knots in his muscles there and working them loose. His hands were deft and confident against Io's skin, and the rubbing oil he was using left a warming sensation and a soothing scent in its wake. Io sighed, feeling some of the tension leaving him.

"That's right," said Akoya. "See, I don't bite. My hands aren't even cold."

"You're doing a very good job," Io assured him. "I should have known you would."

"You'll know better next time," said Akoya lightly. "Now, if I may ask, what is it that has you wound so tightly?"

Io considered his answer. It wasn't like him to go blabbing important kingdom business to just anyone. On the other hand, open court was just that: open. Akoya had admitted he'd already seen some of it. Surely there could be no harm in discussing the matter generally.

"I'm just so tired of people coming to me about things they could so easily solve themselves," he said. "They don't need me to unravel their problems - they just need to _think_ a bit, and be willing to compromise."

"Ah, there you've put your finger on it," said Akoya wisely, as he progressed from Io's neck to his shoulders. "So few people are willing to give up even a little bit."

"That's so," said Io. He smiled a little. "You're not like that, though."

"Not like which?" Akoya asked. "The people who can't compromise, or the ones who can?"

"Either," said Io. "You strike me as the kind who doesn't need to compromise because he already knows exactly how far he can go. You'll be clever about getting as much as you can, but you aren't going to waste time trying to get something that's out of your reach."

"You are a very astute man, your majesty," said Akoya softly. "I begin to see why you were the one chosen to take the throne."

"I don't feel very kingly on a day like today," Io admitted. "I keep wondering if I'm making the right choices."

"I'm sure you did," said Akoya. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Somewhat to Io's surprise, he _did_ want to talk about it. As Akoya worked his way steadily from Io's shoulders to his back, Io voiced his concerns about the decisions he had made, about the absurd things people had asked him for, about how he wasn't sure how to face endless days of doing this. Akoya listened, made sympathetic remarks, and occasionally offered shrewd observations and helpful suggestions. He might not have been particularly educated about politics or history, but he obviously had a keen mind and a gift for creative solutions. It did Io good just to vent his feelings and have someone listen to him. By the time Akoya was corking up his little bottle of oil, Io felt a lot better - warm inside and out, as devoid of tension as a piece of wet silk.

"There," said Akoya, as finished cleaning up. "How do you feel now?"

"Much better, thank you," Io answered.

Akoya beamed. "I knew you would. We can make this a regular thing, if you like. You can even invite your husband to join in. I can accommodate both of you easily enough."

"That actually sounds like a good idea," said Io. "All right. Directly after open court, then?"

"Certainly," Akoya agreed. "I'll have it all prepared for you the same time tomorrow."

Io smiled. "I appreciate your efficiency. And thank you. This is the best I've felt in days."

Akoya smiled back. "Then I'm glad I could find something to help you."

Io left his room with more spring in his step than he'd left, ready to take on whatever else this day had to throw at him. Akoya lingered in the hallway, watching him go. Then he turned and walked back to his room with a smile on his face.

When he was safely behind closed doors, Akoya opened up his jewelry box and removed the enchanted crystal.

"Kinshiro, are you there?" he asked. "I have news. I've finally gotten through to him."

* * *

Kinshiro closed off the connection with Akoya and settled back in his chair to ponder.

 _He seems to be doing all right, at least. Maybe I was worried over nothing._

Well, of course he'd been worried over nothing. Akoya was his friend, wasn't he? One of the only true friends he'd ever had, in fact. If he couldn't trust Akoya, he couldn't trust anybody.

 _But you can't, can you?_ the little voice in the back of his mind whispered.

After all, he'd already suffered enough betrayals in his life. Only one, really, but that had been more than enough.

 _It could have been worse,_ he told himself. _I found out in time what was going to happen. If I had taken longer, I probably wouldn't be here to think about it._

A little voice inside him suggested that he might have enjoyed the deception more than the reality, but he shoved that thought aside. Yes, he had been happy when he had believed that Atsushi had loved him, but it had always been a lie, and he was better off hurt but alive than he would be happy and dead.

 _And I never had an inkling..._

Which just went to show, he supposed, how ignorant he had been back then. He had been living in the Arborean court for nearly three months, blissfully unaware of what he had let himself in for. The only dark blot on his happiness had been the thought that soon he would be expected to return home soon, and would have to wait several weeks before Atsushi would come to join him for the wedding and they would never have to be apart again. He was looking forward to that part, but the long separation, not so much. With that in mind, he had been wandering around the castle looking for Atsushi, planning to discuss with him the possibility of Atsushi returning home with him when he left. After all, it wasn't as though anyone here needed Atsushi for anything. Even if it would take time to make all the negotiations a royal wedding required, at least they could still be _together_.

He heard Atsushi's voice up ahead and picked up his pace. The sound was coming from one of the better parlors, the one where the really important guests were taken. Not wanting to interrupt an important meeting, Kinshiro crept closer and peeked through the partially open door. Atsushi was there, all right, talking to a tall, blond, good-looking man.

"...should have warned me you were coming," Atsushi was saying.

"I figured it'd be okay," the stranger replied.

Atsushi laughed. "You never change. Well, I'm glad to see you anyway, En. I sure have missed you."

The two of them embraced. Kinshiro looked on, hardly able to believe what he was seeing. Who was this stranger who was so close to Atsushi, and why hadn't Kinshiro seen him here before?

"I missed you too," said the man called En. "I hate being apart. I wish I could just stay here with you. I don't know how much longer I can get by without you."

Atsushi smiled affectionately. "Aw, it'll be okay. We'll be together again soon, and you won't have to leave again."

"I know, but it's so long to wait," En wailed. "Why can't we just settle it all now?"

"You know why," Atsushi said, in a tone of gentle chastisement. "Just be patient. Pretty soon, I'll be married and settled in White Sands. I'll get things sorted with Kinshiro, and then pretty soon you'll be in his place and we won't have to worry anymore."

"I'll leave everything to you, then," said En, leaning his head on Atsushi's shoulder.

Atsushi laughed and playfully ruffled En's hair. "I know you will. You always do."

Kinshiro turned away, feeling sick. This had to be a nightmare, but he had heard it with his own ears, seen it with his own eyes. Atsushi, the man he had loved with all his heart and soul, was in a private room, laughing and cuddling with another man. They were conspiring to take Kinshiro's throne and put this other man in his place. There was only one way that could happen under the law of White Sands - if Kinshiro died and the person he'd been married to married someone else. They could only hold the position as consort, not king, but they could hold that position for as long as the surviving ruler lived. Since Atsushi was a healthy young man, that was likely to be a good long time - plenty of time to ensure a comfortable retirement. All it would take would be for Kinshiro to have a an unfortunate accident.

It was a simple plan, and likely to work - assuming they could find a gullible enough mark. If someone had told Kinshiro that it was something _Atsushi_ was likely to try, he would have had them flung out in to the street for their insolence. But he couldn't doubt the evidence of his own ears. He had been played for a fool by a real champion of the game, and he'd never had an inkling.

 _I should have known all along it was too good to be true._

That had been his thought then, and it was his thought now. You couldn't trust anyone. The kindest face and sweetest smile could hide the hardest heart. That was one of the reasons why Kinshiro had always found Akoya such soothing company: Akoya knew perfectly well that he was a ruthless schemer behind his angelic facade, and was happy to own up to it when called on it.

 _He won't let me down,_ Kinshiro told himself. _I won't let him. I can't stand to lose anyone else..._


	5. In Which Akoya Dances With Death

Akoya breezed into the dining room, following the enticing aromas that issued from the kitchen beyond. At dinner, meals were served in the grand dining room, where everyone in the court could see and be seen by each other, but Io saw no reason to make a spectacle of himself at every meal. Breakfast and lunch were always held in the small dining room, attended only by a few people whose company the king actually enjoyed. Akoya had been pleased to finally be allowed into that magic circle. Now he took a seat across the table from where Io and Ryuu were sitting and called out hellos to his tablemates.

"Good afternoon, Akoya," said Io pleasantly. "How was practice?"

"It went very well. I'm working up a new routine that I think you'll enjoy," Akoya replied.

Io smiled. "I'll look forward to seeing it."

Akoya smiled back and began reaching for a dish of spiced eggplant. His appetite had improved since coming to live in this palace. Part of that was because the food here was so much better than it was at home. The king there seemed to live primarily on bland foods that wouldn't upset his delicate health, and Kinshiro's taste wasn't much better. He disliked anything highly seasoned, so while the dishes served at his table were always made of the finest ingredients, perfectly prepared and beautifully served, they tended to lack taste. On the other hand, one of Io's economies was to fire his grandfather's highly paid cooks, and instead hire a collection of locals - grannies and grandpas and aunts and uncles known for their skills in cooking. They cooked simple, traditional dishes with recipes perfected by their own grannies and grandpas and aunts and uncles. Akoya had at balked, at first, at being served stewed chicken and stuffed squash instead of the delicate cuisine he was accustomed to, but now that he'd adapted to the idea of eating food with actual _flavor_ , he couldn't imagine how he would give it up.

The other reason was that he was using a lot more energy these days. He'd always put in practice time whenever he could, but he'd always had other matters to occupy his attention which he had to work around. Now he was spending nearly every morning rehearsing, and nearly every evening performing. For the first few days, he'd gone to bed completely exhausted, but by now he'd adapted to his new schedule and was even enjoying it. There was nothing he loved more than dancing and having people watch him dance, and now he could do so as much as he liked. He felt stronger and healthier and more beautiful than he ever had in his life.

"I do think you'll be impressed," Akoya agreed. "Your people were good enough to build a set of boxes for me of varying sizes, and the performance happens around and on top of them. By the time I'm finished, they're stacked in a pyramid with me balanced on top, and I drop into the smallest box and close the lid after me. If I do it smoothly enough, it's almost as though I disappear into thin air."

"Your dedication to your art is admirable," said Io.

"I wouldn't call it that, precisely," said Akoya thoughtfully. "I'm doing what I enjoy. If I were left to my own devices, with no one to tell me what to do, I would probably still be doing just as I am now."

"So all you want to do is dance, huh?" Ryuu mused. He flashed a teasing grin. "So what are you going to do when you get old and your knees give out?"

Akoya returned the grin with a coy look of his own. "I expect our beneficent king to pension me off handsomely, so I can live out my days lounging on cushions eating bonbons and getting fat."

The image was so incongruous that all three of them laughed.

"Not you!" said Io. "You're going to become one of those awe-inspiring old men who makes everyone else feel like a lowly worm just by looking at them. Everyone is going to take you for the king instead of me. I'll have to appoint you my grand vizier or something, because I'll be too embarrassed to be confused with a mere dancing boy."

Akoya tossed his head and said, "I'm not a _mere_ anything," but he was pleased nonetheless. He felt rather complimented by Io's assessment of him, which despite being delivered in a teasing manner, had felt honest nonetheless. It was fun being able to tease and laugh like this.

"That is true," said Io, smiling. "You are truly remarkable. On that note, do you have a few minutes after lunch? There's something I'd like to show you."

"Of course. I'd be happy to," said Akoya. In truth, he really didn't mind. After lunch was his rest period - time he spent quietly in his room, reading or sewing or otherwise amusing himself. He could spare a few minutes if it would keep Io happy with him.

"Good," said Io, looking pleased. "I hate to intrude on your free time, but it will only take a moment."

"For you, I can always make time," Akoya replied.

Ryuu gave an exaggerated eyeroll. "Get a room, you two."

"I have a room," Io answered calmly. "You sleep there too, as you might recall."

Akoya batted his eyelashes. "He can come too. I wouldn't mind the company."

The three of them continued their bantering and teasing throughout the meal. When dessert was over and the dishes of rice pudding had been cleared away, Io stood and beckoned for his companions to follow. Akoya slid gracefully from his seat and trailed after him, trying not to show how curious he was. He had volunteered his services outside of his set schedule before, as he had in the matter of the afternoon massages, but this was the first time Io himself had suggested a variation of the routine.

Io escorted him out of the dining room and down a series of hallways to one of the storerooms.

"I've been sifting through my coronation and wedding presents," he explained, as he began unlocking the door. "All of the gems and precious metals are in the treasury now, and the spices are in the kitchen, but there are still a lot of things left over. I wondered if you would like to have a few."

"You're... giving me your wedding presents?" Akoya repeated.

Io chuckled. "Well, not all of them, but if you wanted to pick out two or three things to brighten up your room... well, you've been working very hard for us lately, and I thought you deserved a treat."

He pushed the door open, and Akoya stepped into the room. If this was what was left over after the most valuable things had been put away, Akoya decided, the original collection must have been extremely impressive indeed. He peered with interest at pieces of fine ceramics, boxes carved from exotic woods, delicately woven tapestries, items of embossed leather...

"So I can have anything I want?" Akoya asked, turning over an incense burner carved from semiprecious stone in his hands.

"Whatever you like," Io assured him. "You've earned it. Just don't get too greedy, all right?"

Akoya laughed. That was Io, all right. He could be generous - but only to a point.

"I will endeavor to exercise restraint," he promised.

In the end, he selected a small but lusciously soft rug to put next to his bed, a bolt of beautifully patterned cloth that he could turn into new clothing, and a mother-of-pearl comb carved into the shape of a peacock. He presented these findings for Io's approval.

"Yes, that's fine," said Io. "I think you chose very well."

"I thank you for the gifts, then," said Akoya. "I'll take good care of these."

Then, impulsively, he darted in to place a light kiss on Io's cheek. His last sight, before he glided down the hall with his armload of treasures, was of Io pressing a hand to his face, looking startled and more than a little pleased.

 _You'd think he'd never been kissed before,_ thought Akoya, amused. _And him a married man!_

It wasn't until he had retreated to his room and put his new treasures away that he stopped to think about what had just happened. Yes, he had come here with the intent to seduce Io - had been working very hard toward that end - but that wasn't why he'd kissed him just now. He hadn't been thinking about his plan at all. That had been a simple, unpremeditated gesture, born of honest desire and gratitude.

 _Maybe Kinshiro was right. I am losing my focus._

Akoya lay back on his bed to ponder the situation. The truth was, he was happy here, far happier than he'd ever been at home. Back home, he had been just another young lord of the Gero family, expected to take responsibility for family affairs whether he wanted to or not. Here, he never had to do anything but the things he enjoyed the most. He had lots of people to admire him here. He had all the luxuries he loved so much - good food, beautiful clothes, elegant living quarters. And he liked Io and Ryuu. He admired Io's intelligence and sophistication, and enjoyed his subtle sense of humor, every bit as much as he enjoyed Ryuu's ebullient nature and zest for life. The thought of going back to White Sands and never seeing them again left him cold.

 _Maybe Kinshiro will let me keep them after he's conquered the kingdom._

But that thought was no comfort to him. He could hear Io's voice in his mind, insisting that he would not have Akoya enslaved to him. Even if the only alternative was for them to die at the hands of Kinshiro's invaders, Akoya didn't think they would take being his slaves much better. They would hate him for it, and that would spoil any happiness he might have had at being with them. He didn't want them as slaves. He wanted them laughing with him over the dining room table as they had today. He wanted to dance for them and watch the light of admiration and desire kindle in their eyes. He wanted to grow old alongside them and see if Io really would keep his promise to make him a grand vizier.

 _I have a duty to my kingdom, though._

Even to himself, that excuse sounded thin. After all, he knew Kinshiro better than most people, and he had a realistic idea of what kind of ruler he would make. Possibly he might have made a very good king once, but ever since he'd broken off his engagement to the prince of the Arborean Empire, he had been a different person: bitter, cynical, mistrustful, even a little paranoid. Io, by contrast, was an excellent ruler. He strove to be fair in his judgments, managed his finances wisely, and seemed to genuinely care about his people. Any lack in his abilities was generally made up for by Ryuu's advice. If Akoya was being honest with himself, he would have admitted that the two of them together were better rulers than Kinshiro would be.

 _But it's not my decision to make, he told himself firmly. He had agreed to do this job, so what else could he do but go through with it?_

 _Enjoy it while it lasts,_ he decided. And maybe if it dragged on long enough, Kinshiro would give up the whole idea and Akoya could just stay here forever.

* * *

It was time for the nightly after-dinner performance.

In truth, this was always Akoya's favorite time of day. It wasn't the dinner part he enjoyed, despite the lavish food and the exalted company. He usually ate only lightly at dinner, preferring to wait and have a private meal in his rooms after his performance. He had figured out early on that if you planned to spend an hour or so after dinner leaping about and flipping upside-down, it was better not to do it on an overfull stomach. Likewise, talking to the social luminaries of court was not usually his idea of fun. It involved a lot of pretending to be fascinated by people he couldn't care less about. Akoya far preferred the informal lunches, where he got to chat with Io and Ryuu about things the three of them found interesting. No, dinner, was not very interesting, but the performance afterwards...

Akoya allowed himself a smile as he moved smoothly through the night's routine. This was what he lived for, this moment when he was on stage - the one Io had ordered just for his use - and all eyes were on him. The sense that everyone was watching him, wanting him, wishing they could have him... that feeling was more addicting than any drug. Even now, he was intensely aware of their stares, of how attentively silent the audience around him was. And why shouldn't they be? This was a particularly sensual routine, one that involved a series of slow transitions from one elegant pose to the next - more a contortion act than a proper dance, but an excellent way to show off his poise and flexibility. This stage of the routine had him going from balanced on his hands with his toes pointed at the ceiling to gently lowering himself onto the floor. Now he lay stretched full-length on his back, spine arched, one knee slightly flexed, fists clenched loosely at his sides, head flung back as if in ecstacy. He _felt_ ecstatic. All around him, he could hear the little gasps and moans the erotic pose elicited. Akoya allowed his head to tilt very slightly to one side, just enough to catch a glimpse of the king and his consort. Both of them were watching him with identical open-mouthed, glassy-eyed expressions. Akoya suppressed a smile. Despite his best efforts, so far neither Io nor Ryuu had responded to his not-so-subtle come-ons, but if the way they were watching him now was any indication, they were well on their way to caving. He hoped so. He was used to being able to charm anyone he wanted. He was the one who did the rejecting, and being put off by someone he wanted was intensely frustrating.

 _But perhaps tonight will be the night..._

For a moment, at least, that was all that he thought about - Io's smooth skin and sleek hair, Ryuu's laughing eyes and brilliant smile...

Then it all went wrong.

As Akoya began to raise himself into his next maneuver, a flicker of movement overhead caught his eye. Something was moving stealthily across the ceiling, using the carved arches and hanging banners as handholds. It was almost invisible in the dimly lit hall, but Akoya saw, and knew what it must be. Even as the thought crossed his mind, he saw the shadowy figure slip down a support column and began stealing towards the dias where Io and Ryuu sat.

In a flash, Akoya was on his feet.

"Intruder!" he shouted, as he flung himself off his stage. "Assassin!"

He landed on the dining tables, scattering food and knocking over a glass. People exclaimed in shock and surprise, but Akoya ignored them, instead breaking into a run. The table was cluttered with plates and flatware, but Akoya was surefooted as a cat as he wove his way through the obstacle course.

But such a flashy movement couldn't fail to attract the assassin's attention. The man turned towards Akoya, slipped a knife from his belt, and threw it across the room. Akoya saw it coming, and he dove for the floor. The knife whizzed through the place his chest had been a split-second before and buried itself in the side of a partially-eaten goose. Akoya himself turned his dive into a roll and was on his feet again in a flash. He took three more running steps before flinging himself at the assassin, and they both tumbled to the floor. They rolled about, struggling, Akoya trying to pin the man's arms while the assassin tried to reach for another knife.

"Don't - you - dare!" Akoya snarled. He wrenched the blade out of the man's hand and threw it aside. "Don't you even begin to think about it!"

The guards converged on the would-be killer and pried Akoya off of him. Akoya was reluctant to be pried. Where were these guards a minute ago? As far as he was concerned, he was doing their job better than they were, and he deserved to get his licks in. Reluctantly, he let himself be set back on his feet while the assassin was hauled away to a jail cell.

"Akoya?"

Akoya turned to see Io watching him, eyes wide and face pale.

"Akoya, are you all right?" he asked.

Akoya started to say that of course he was all right, and then checked himself. He hadn't been thinking about the risk to himself at all. He had only been thinking that someone was here who shouldn't have been, that the intruder was probably here to hurt Io and possibly Ryuu as well, and he'd reacted without thinking. He glanced back at the knife that was still lodged in the roast goose.

Ryuu wandered over to pick up the second knife. Something greasy gleamed on the edge of the blade.

"This thing is poisoned," he said. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Akoya assured him. "Not a scratch. It will take more than someone like him to stop me."

"You saved my life," said Io, eyes dark and serious. "Saved both of us, probably. How can I ever repay you?"

Akoya knew how to take a cue. He dropped gracefully down to one knee and bowed his head.

"You are my king. My life is yours," he said. Then he raised his eyes and added with complete honesty, "I couldn't let anything happen to the two of you."

They held that tableau a moment, holding each other's gaze. The room was intensely silent. It was hard to tell in the low light, but Io seemed to be blushing.

It was Ryuu who stepped in and took charge.

"Entertainment's over for the night!" he shouted. "Everybody clear out. We've got other stuff to worry about right now. Go on - out!" Satisfied that the crowd was moving, he turned to put a gentle arm around his husband. "Come on. You've had a shock. Let's get you somewhere quieter."

Akoya rose to his feet.

"Am I dismissed, then?" he asked.

Io and Ryuu exchanged glances. Ryuu raised an eyebrow, and Io nodded slightly. Ryuu nodded back. That exchange complete, Io turned back to Akoya, and now there was definitely a blush rising in his cheeks.

"Actually," he said, "I thought perhaps you might like to stay with us tonight?"

A warm glow spread through Akoya, and he allowed himself to smile.

"Yes," he said. "I would like that very much."


	6. In Which Akoya Chooses

For the moment, at least, all was peaceful in Io's room. It had been several days since the attack of the assassin, and the aftermath of that had caused Io a good many headaches as he'd sorted out what to do with this first (and last, Io hoped) attempt to prematurely end his reign. The killer had turned out to be a man sent from the Misted Isles - a small rocky island kingdom that made most of its income off of piracy, and which had not been at all pleased with Io's plans to build new harbors along his largely neglected coastline and start putting together a decent navy. Naturally, the king of Misted Isles had denied any knowledge of anything, and Io was still sorting out that particular diplomatic mess.

But there was one good thing that had come out of the whole situation, and that was Akoya. Not even the most suspicious person could suspect him of anything after he had risked his own life to save Io's. For all the doubts he and Ryuu had been harboring, it seemed that Akoya was indeed what he seemed to be: a lovely, rather vain man, who wanted nothing more than to be a dancer in a royal court and enjoy all the perks that came with such a position. He hadn't even taken a reward for his heroism... well, not much of one. Io had made several sky's-the-limit offers (well, offers limited only by what could reasonably be supplied by the palace treasury) and had been politely turned down. In the end, Io had presented him with a silver and lapis bracelet, which had been graciously accepted, but it was a mere token gesture and they both knew it.

Akoya _had_ been ready enough to accept the invitation to the king's bedchamber, though. That, at least, he'd been quite enthusiastic about, and continued to be enthusiastic about in the days that followed. Since then, hardly a day went by in which either Io or Ryuu or both of them hadn't either invited him to their rooms or come knocking at his door, and he always responded warmly to their overtures. Io didn't think it was just a matter of trying to stay in the royalty's good graces, either. He might not have been the expert on people that Ryuu was, but he thought he could tell feigned enthusiasm from the genuine article, and he was certain now that Akoya genuinely liked them both.

 _I like him, too._ He felt he was slowly getting to know the dancer better, and so far he liked what he'd seen. Akoya didn't talk about his past life much, but from what little he'd let slip, Io had formed an impression of a lonely child, surrounded by rough-and-tumble brothers and cousins who didn't understand a boy who would rather dance and sew than ride and fight. It was easy to see why he might be happier in a place like this where he could be himself. Looking back, Io could see how Akoya had been blossoming here - smiling, laughing, and making jokes over meals instead of maintaining his air of pleasant aloofness. He had a wicked sense of humor that Io found amusing, and an intelligence that made him a pleasure to talk to. All that on top of his remarkable good looks...

Io reluctantly pulled his mind away from that train of thought. He rolled towards the edge of his bed and began the slow process of dragging himself back to his feet. He really would have preferred to stay where he had been, warm and comfortable and wrapped in his lovers' arms, but he wasn't the sort to shirk his duty for anything, no matter how pleasant.

"Back to real life, huh?" Ryuu murmured.

"There's never enough time, is there?" Akoya agreed. He slid off the other side of the bed and began pulling his clothes back on. "Is there anything interesting on the agenda for today?"

Io consulted a mental list. "A diplomatic visit from the Vientolian Nation."

Akoya turned to look at the outfit that Io had already lad out over a chair. "And you're planning to wear _that_?"

"What's wrong with it?" asked Io, looking at the bright scarlet trousers and matching vest. They were handsome articles, vividly dyed and stitched with gold trim. "I thought you liked this outfit."

"I do, and it suits you very well," said Akoya, "but it's the wrong thing to wear for this occasion. The Vientolians take color symbolism very seriously. Red is only worn when someone is going to war or announcing a feud or a death. It's considered a very aggressive color."

Ryuu sat up and began trying to put his hair back into some kind of order. "Yeah, but they know we don't do that here, right?"

"Well, yes," said Akoya, "but they'll still take away a bad impression. If I were you, I'd wear something blue. Blue and white are auspicious colors. Green and gray are also good. I'm going to be wearing a costume tonight that will be mostly white and gray, with some green and blue accents. Ryuu, I suggest you should do the same. It will place us in a positive light while making it clear that Io is the one in charge here, which I assume is what we want, yes?"

Io nodded. "That sounds good. Would you choose some things for us?" He waved a hand, letting the gesture encompass the two wardrobes where his and Ryuu's clothing was stored and the cases where their jewelry was kept.

Akoya smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

A few minutes later, Akoya had departed to slip into his own costume, which no doubt would be perfectly appropriate to the occasion and coordinate nicely with whatever the king and prince would be wearing. Io began pulling on his own specially selected clothes, feeling thoughtful.

"What did we ever do without him?" he mused aloud.

"Spent a lot more time flailing around ineffectively," Ryuu replied. He fastened his belt in place and stood back to admire the effect. "Also, picked out our own clothes. I know what you mean, though. He just makes everything _easier_ , somehow."

Io nodded. He had known from the start that he and Ryuu were going to make a good team, as rulers as well as lovers. Io was the one with the practical sense. He could manage money as well as any merchant and had a good idea of how to run a country on a grand scale. Ryuu had the interpersonal skills. He knew how to gauge what people were thinking and feeling, and how best to react to those feelings. What Akoya brought to the table was what Io might have called "social awareness". He understood things like what clothing was appropriate to wear to what event, whether or not it was permissible to seat a minor noble next to a wealthy merchant at a formal dinner, and just how much the king of one nation should defer to the laws and mores of another nation when dealing with its representatives, and how much to adjust that level of deference depending on whether you were dealing with a visiting prince or a caravan master. Io had been trained for that to some degree, but it didn't come naturally to him the way it did for Akoya.

And there were other things, too. Take the matter of the afternoon massages, for example. Io never would have guessed that such a small thing would make such a difference to his day. Instead, it had turned out to be advantageous on a number of levels, especially once Ryuu had started joining in their sessions. Up until that point, Io had been feeling bad about himself. Ryuu had a healthy sex drive, but with Io coming to bed every night tired and stressed, it had been hard to maintain the proper mood. He'd felt like a sad disappointment to his new husband. But after one of Akoya's massages and the long mind-clearing talks that usually went with them, he'd always emerged relaxed and refreshed, and with Ryuu right there with him in a similar state, intimacy came naturally.

Akoya had apparently guessed this, because after a couple of sessions, he'd given them a purple bottle of floral-scented massage oil, which he had explained with a perfectly straight face was something they could experiment with on each other when he wasn't around. It was, he explained, good for beginners, as it was gentle enough to use even on the most sensitive skin, and contained nothing that wasn't edible in case they should "accidentally" ingest any of it. Io still wasn't entirely sure what the stuff in the purple bottle was made of, but he and Ryuu had discovered any number of creative uses for it.

"I know just what you mean," Io agreed. "I'm starting to think that we should do something to... well, 'legitimize' isn't quite the word I'm looking for. Affirm his status."

Ryuu offered a grin. "You thinking of making him a vizier, after all?"

"Not quite," said Io, chuckling, "but you're pretty close. Giving him a title, at least. Call him my social secretary or court host or something like that. The exact wording doesn't matter as much as making it clear that he's something other than a pretty ornament around here."

"Not just a mere dancer, huh?" Ryuu joked. "But yeah, you're right. He deserves it."

"It might make him feel more at home, too," said Io. He still had the sense that there was a distance between himself and Akoya that he hadn't bridged yet, and he had been wondering if that might be because of the vast difference between them in social status. Having a title and a secure place in the court structure might make Akoya feel more confident.

"Couldn't hurt," Ryuu agreed. "When do you want to tell him?"

Io thought it over. "Soon, but not right now. We have the embassy from Vientolia today, and the party from the Arobrean Empire is supposed to be here any day now. After that settles down, though, we'll have time to appoint him with proper ceremony."

"Good call," said Ryuu. "I get the feeling he's the kind of guy who'd enjoy being at the center of that kind of attention."

"Really? What was your first clue?" asked Io, arching an eyebrow.

They both laughed, and in that pleasant frame of mind, the two of them set out to deal with the embassy.

* * *

"Whew!" said Ryuu, pushing a sweaty strand of hair away from his face. "And you make this stuff look _easy_."

Akoya smiled, pleased by the compliment. "If I made it look difficult, it would mean I'm not very good at my job."

The two of them were in Akoya's practice room, rehearsing a routine. That morning, Ryuu had come to him with the idea of learning a few dance steps, and the two of them working up a routine to surprise Io with. Akoya had been amenable, and the two of them had spent the last few hours choreographing and rehearsing a simple performance. Akoya had enjoyed it more than he'd thought he would. Ryuu had no experience with dance, at least not the kind Akoya did, but he was an eager student and a fast learner. Up until now, Akoya had never had anyone to share his passion with him - he had always either taken lessons alone with a private tutor, or more often, simply figured things out on his own. Even if all Ryuu was up to was giving him something to brace himself against for some of the maneuvers, just having someone to share the experience with was exciting.

"Well, I gotta hand it to you - you're better than I realized," Ryuu admitted. He rubbed his calf and winced. "Tougher, too. I don't know if I'm going to be able to walk tomorrow."

Akoya plucked a jar of salve down from a nearby shelf and passed it to him. "Here. Rub this wherever it hurts. I'll bring you a jar of your own so you can reapply it before you go to bed tonight. It works miracles on strained muscles."

"Another of your special blends, huh?" said Ryuu. "Well, in that case, I'm betting it works. Thanks. Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, Io said to tell you thanks for that stuff you gave him to help him sleep. Worked like a charm."

"He pushes himself too hard," said Akoya. "You and I have to take care of him."

Ryuu flashed a quick smile. "Yeah, he does work too hard, but that's part of why we love him, right?"

Akoya nodded thoughtfully. "You might have something there."

Ryou took the comment as a joke and laughed. "Well, I'm gonna go wash up. See you at lunch."

Akoya waved to him and began walking back to his room in a pensive mood. Ryuu had used that word so casually, as if it were an undeniable and obvious fact, as if their love for Io was as natural a thing as the sun rising in the morning. Was it true, then? Akoya couldn't deny that he felt something around Io - around both of them, if he was going to be honest. So was this love - this warm, glowing sense of rightness, this feeling of having found home at another person's side, this desire to be with someone else no matter what the cost? If it was, Akoya could see why the loss of it was still tearing Kinshiro apart inside. Akoya had never quite believed, before now, that such a thing could exist, or if it did, that it could be as good as everyone said it was. Now here he had it, right in front of him, practically within his grasp. He wasn't quite naive enough to believe that Ryuu and Io felt the same way about him, but perhaps, given time to get to know him better...

...which they weren't going to do because he couldn't let them. Any detailed discussion of his past would give away the game.

 _But I'm not going to give up,_ Akoya decided, as he strode determinedly into his room. He wasn't going to turn into Kinshiro - bitter and cold and eternally dwelling on past pain. He was going to have what he wanted, no matter what it took.

And what it was going to take was the painful truth. He was going to have to tell them everything, and hope that they would believe him when he said he wanted nothing more to do with this life of sneaking and spying. He would tell them how much happier he was here than he had been at home, how when he'd seen they were in danger, he'd realized that he couldn't bear the idea of anything happening to either of them. He thought they would believe him.

Kinshiro, though, was going to be a harder sell. He probably wasn't going to listen to anything Akoya had to tell him. On the whole, Akoya thought he could live with that. He would be sorry to break off their friendship, but if it was returning to him or staying here, he knew what his answer was going to be.

 _Tonight,_ Akoya decided, mind made up. _I'll talk to him tonight after the evening performance and tell him I'm done with this nonsense._ That would be a good time. Since Akoya normally ate very little at dinner, he usually had a second, more substantial meal sent to his room after the night's performance, and the king and his consort usually had the patience to wait until he had refreshed himself before they started suggesting any other activities. The hour or so his private meal afforded him should be more than enough time to hash everything out with Kinshiro. And then...

He allowed himself for a moment to imagine how it could be if it all went right. Probably, he thought, not all that different from the way things were now, but with the crucial difference that he wouldn't have to guard every word he said anymore. That would be worth a great deal in itself.

Of course, it might all end very badly, but Akoya had faith in his own abilities, and in Io's sense of fairness. They wouldn't punish him too harshly once he'd made it clear where things stood.

That thought buoyed him up throughout the rest of the day. Everyone agreed that his after-dinner performance had been particularly inspired. He had only smiled when they said as much, and declined to give any reason why that might be. As soon as he could, he made a graceful exit and retreated to his rooms. Food had already been laid out there, but he ignored it all and went straight to his jewelry box to call Kinshiro.

"You had better be home," he muttered. This wasn't an unusual time for Akoya to call, but Kinshiro's princely duties sometimes called him away when he would have preferred to be relaxing in his room.

His worries were unfounded, however. After a moment or two, Kinshiro's voice came through clearly.

"Well?" he snapped.

"Don't fret. I won't keep you long," said Akoya. "I'm just calling to tender my resignation."

There was a pause. Then, "So. I had a feeling it would come to this."

"I'm sorry it had to be this way," said Akoya calmly, "but I'm afraid it's unavoidable."

"I thought better of you than this," said Kinshiro. "I mean, I always knew you had a treacherous streak, but I never thought you were a fool."

"I'm not," said Akoya. "It's just that I've rearranged my priorities."

"Don't think I don't know what this is about," Kinshiro growled. "You've gone and fallen for one of them, haven't you? Or both of them."

"So what if I have?" Akoya snapped.

"It won't do you any good," said Kinshiro. "This is a matter of kingdoms and countries. It is more important than some fleeting infatuation."

"You think this is a fleeting infatuation?" asked Akoya.

"Of course it is. You know this isn't going to last. They'll turn on you, or forget about you, or just get tired of you, or else you'll get tired of them. I know you - you've never been able to stay with a lover for more than a week."

Akoya gave his magical stone an exasperated look, even though he knew Kinshiro couldn't see him. "And so you think there is no such thing as love that lasts?"

"Of course I do."

"And yet you're still hung up on someone you broke off with more than a year ago," said Akoya. "And that's why I'm doing this - because I don't want to end up like you."

Incoherent sputtering from the other side of the connection. "Why, you... How dare you say such things to me?"

"Because they're true," said Akoya implacably. "Maybe you were willing to give up on what you wanted the minute things started going wrong, but I won't. I have what I want, and I'm going to hold on to it with both hands. If they reject me after they know the truth, then I will devote my time to teaching them to trust me again."

"What makes you think they trust you now?" Kinshiro scoffed.

"They trust me," said Akoya. "I saved their lives."

Kinshiro's voice came out as a yelp. "What?!"

"I saved their lives," Akoya repeated. "There was an assassin in the court. I tackled him before anyone else realized he was there and saved the king and his consort. They had to trust me after that."

"Did you forget," Kinshiro snapped, "that your mission here wasn't simply to get them to trust you? The idea here was to conquer their kingdom. You didn't even have to _do_ anything - just sit back and let someone else take care of them, and then I could have moved in while everyone else was still figuring out what to do. It would have been perfect, if you hadn't ruined it."

"I wasn't thinking about that," said Akoya irritably, "which you'd know if you'd been paying attention."

"That is no way to speak to your prince," Kinshiro retorted. "Regardless of what you think you're doing now, you're still a citizen of this country and a member of my court, and if you think you can take that tone of voice with me and get away with it..."

He went on in that vein, but Akoya wasn't really listening anymore. No, what he was listening to was the sound of the door opening behind him. Akoya slammed down the lid of his jewelry box, cutting off the flow of words, but he knew it was already too late. Io and Ryuu were there in the doorway, staring at him with stunned expressions.

"I know what this looks like, but I can explain," Akoya said, knowing even as he said the words how thin they sounded.

"You're a lousy spy!" Ryuu burst out. "I should have known - all this time you were just trying to soften us up, and we fell for it!"

"It isn't like that," said Akoya, fighting to stay calm. "Please, just let me explain..."

"I don't want to hear any explanations from you." Io's voice was colder than Akoya had ever heard it. "I can't believe anyone would be so low. After all we did for you, this is how you repay us?"

"No," said Akoya. "Listen, you have it wrong. Yes, I came here as a spy, but I've given that up. I called Kinshiro tonight to give him my resignation. My loyalty is with you now."

"You expect us to believe that?" Ryuu snapped. "You're nothing but a fast-talking liar." He grimaced. "I can't believe I ever let you touch me."

Akoya had a brief, intense flash of the first night the three of them had spent together. They had been giddy, excited, laughing. Akoya couldn't remember when he'd ever been so happy. He wanted to scream his frustration.

"I'm telling the truth," he said, voice tight.

"Can you prove that?" Io demanded. Akoya's thoughts must have shown on his face, because Io continued, "I thought so. Well, I must hand it to you. You had me completely fooled."

The acid in his voice made Akoya flinch. He had never seen such fury in the normally controlled Io before.

Io went on, "I would be within my rights to call my men and have you beheaded, right here and now." He drew a breath and closed his eyes. "But I won't. You saved my life, even if it was for your own reasons. For that, I'll give you one chance. You have until sunrise tomorrow to get out of this city. I want you out of my kingdom within a week. If you're still here after that, and my guards find you..."

He let the sentence trail off, but Akoya knew what the ending had to be. He swallowed hard and nodded.

"I understand," he said. "But I am telling you the truth. I hope one day you'll realize that."

Ryuu snorted. "Yeah, right. Tell me another one."

Akoya was stung, but all he said was, "If you please? I would seem to have some packing to do."

"Just... get out of here," said Io. "I never want to see you again."

He turned on his heel and swept out of the room. Ryuu followed close behind, shooting angry glares over his shoulder. Akoya watched them go. He wondered if they would be more likely to believe him if he cried or got on his knees and begged, but he couldn't bring himself to try. Shock had left him numb. This was all happening too fast, and he didn't know how to process it.

 _First things first. This place isn't safe for me anymore. I need to get out._

Automatically, he began gathering up his belongings. He couldn't pack everything he'd brought with him - he'd have to travel light. Into a bag went his most practical clothes and a few other small necessities. He braided his hair quickly and pinned it back to make it less recognizable, and wrapped himself in a weatherproof cloak. His feet were bare, as they always were after one of his performances, so he tugged on his most practical shoes - not that he had many of those. Over his face went the veil he wore when he went out. Normally it protected his skin from the sun and wind, but now it would serve an even more practical purpose. After some consideration, he gathered up all the coins he had and stuffed them into a pouch. If he were going on a long journey, he might have taken his jewelry as well, but selling jewelry would take time and draw attention to himself, and that he didn't need.

Anyway, he wasn't planning on going on a long journey. He wasn't even planning ot leave the city. He'd told the truth - he had found what he wanted here, and he wasn't about to lose it this easily. One way or another, he was going to find a solution.

Anyway, if he went back to White Sands, Kinshiro would probably just throw him in jail. He did not take kindly to betrayal.

There, that everything he needed. Akoya shouldered his bag and prepared to leave the room. _Not forever,_ he promised himself, but there was no point in hanging around waiting for trouble. He took a few steps toward the door. Then he paused, thought for a moment, and turned around. Very carefully, he tucked three more items into his bag, wrapping them up carefully in a few scarves to keep them safe. Then, resolutely, he turned and walked away.


	7. In Which Kinshiro Reads the Mail

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe this!"

Io said nothing. He had spent the last few minutes listening to Ryuu declare that he couldn't believe it, and it was wearing on Io's nerves.

Ryuu didn't seem to notice. He continued pacing the floor of their room, occasionally flinging his arms up or raking his hands through his hair. Finally, with a cry of sheer frustration, he seized a pillow and hurled it at the wall, then flung himself across the bed to bury his head in the remaining cushions.

"I'm having a hard time believing it, too," said Io quietly.

And he _was_ having a hard time believing it. Well, not the part about Akoya having been a spy - he could believe that. There had always been something a little reserved about Akoya, a sense that he was hiding something. And yet... even if he knew it was foolish, he couldn't help but believe that Akoya hadn't been lying about changing sides. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. Maybe it was just the resolute way that Akoya had refused to give ground on the subject. He hadn't begged or cried or made a scene, and somehow that lack of drama in such a usually dramatic person made what he'd said seem more believable.

"I knew there was something wrong about that guy, I just knew it," said Ryuu. "What an actor, though. He was so good at everything... he seemed so natural..."

Io continued staring off into space.

"How likely is it, do you suppose," he asked carefully, "that he might have been telling the truth?"

Ryuu raised his head. "Huh?"

"How likely do you think it is that he really was planning to change sides?" Io asked. "What if he really was tired of working for Prince Kinshiro and wanted to make a break with him? Now would be the time to do it. He's been getting closer to us lately, and anyone can see he's been enjoying himself here. If Kinshiro sent him in with the expectation that he was going to be treated as a slave, and instead he got decent treatment, a good wage, and congenial company, it might have been enough to make him think he's getting a better deal here than he did back home."

Ryuu gave him a flatly disbelieving look. "Come on, Io. I know you were attached to the guy. I was too. But it's no good denying what was right in front of us."

"And what was in front of us?" Io persisted. "I've been thinking over what we heard the two of them talking about, and none of it suggests that Akoya wasn't telling the truth."

"He was talking to Prince Kinshiro," Ryuu pointed out.

Io shook his head. "He was _arguing_ with Prince Kinshiro. As far as I can tell, the prince was reading him the riot act for not letting us die when he had the chance, and Akoya was defending his actions. That clearly suggests that there is at least some lack of accord there."

"I don't know." Ryuu chewed his lower lip. "It sounded to me like it could just be that the guy was thinking more about how to get us to trust him than about the bigger plan."

"But would he really put his life on the line just to get us to trust him?" Io asked. "We already trusted him, more or less. Besides, we know he's intelligent. It would only have taken a split-second for him to realize that all he needed to do was let that assassin slip by him and his job would be done for him."

"So you believe him." It was a statement, not a question.

"I don't, quite," said Io. "But I think it might be worth letting Akoya have his say. Come on." Suddenly galvanized, Io started for the door.

"Where are we going?" Ryuu was already scampering after him.

"We're going to talk to Akoya," said Io. "He might not have left yet. I did give him until tomorrow to get out of here - he might still be backing. If we can find him, we can give him a chance to explain himself. Maybe things aren't as bad as they seem."

Ryuu didn't say anything, but he fell into step alongside Io as he hurried down the hallways. Io felt a cautious lifting of his spirits.

 _He wants it to be true, too. He feels the same way I do._

They reached Akoya's room. It stood open, and there was no sound of movement inside. Io slowed his steps as he drew nearer.

"Akoya?" he called. "Are you still there?"

No answer. Io took a few more steps closer and peered inside.

"No one in there," he said, "but most of his things are here..."

Ryuu pushed past him and began making a methodical search of the room.

"Not all his things," he said. "Some of his clothes are gone, and one of his bags. Looks like he decided to travel light."

Io sighed and sat down on the bed. "So we've lost him, then."

"Looks like," Ryuu agreed. "I'm impressed. He didn't strike me as the type who'd leave without his whole kit with him. Look, he even left his jewel box behind."

"He probably took the jewels, though," said Io, with a touch of cynicism.

Moved by an impulse that was half curiosity and half not knowing what else to do, Io stood up and went to have a closer look at the jewelry box. Much to his surprise, it was still filled with jewelry. That was curious. Aside from the fact that Akoya loved pretty things, it seemed unlikely that anyone would depart on a long journey and leave most of his valuables behind. Io frowned, considering. Just as he and Ryuu had come into the room, he'd seen Akoya slam down the lid of this jewel box. Didn't that mean the mechanism he used to contact Kinshiro was in here somewhere? Very carefully, Io began taking out the contents of the box, and then, when it was empty, testing the pieces of the box itself. He was hardly surprised when the bottom section came out completely, revealing a hidden compartment with a single smooth stone at the bottom.

"Dare I?" he murmured.

Without waiting for an answer, he picked up the stone. It warmed in his hand, and he felt the thrum of magic against his fingers.

A moment later, a cold voice said, "Changed your mind already, have you?"

Io nearly dropped the stone. It took everything he had to stifle the cry of surprise that rose in his throat. He forced himself to stay silent and listen.

"Well, don't bother," Kinshiro continued. "There's no room in my kingdom for traitors. You've chosen your side, and I wish you joy of it. But remember this: if I ever catch you setting foot in my kingdom again, you are _dead_. Do you understand me? One foot inside this border and your pretty head is on a plate. I hope those idiots you fell for are worth it."

The sound cut abruptly off. Io set the speaking stone down.

"He was telling the truth, then," he said in a daze. "He was going to leave Kinshiro... because of us..."

Ryuu was hardly listening. He was staring at something on a shelf behind Io. Io turned to see what he was staring at, but the jumble of objects there looked the same as it always had. Akoya had magpie instincts, and his living quarters had acquired a lot of pretty odds and ends, so that his shelves were now a hodgepodge of colorful sparkly trinkets. Io frowned slightly. He had only been in this room a few times, and lately when he had come in here it had been for reasons other than to admire the decor, but he was almost certain there was something wrong, something missing...

"The glass rose," said Ryuu.

"Hmm?" asked Io, who had only half-heard the words.

"The first time I took him shopping," Ryuu explained, "I bought him a glass rose as a gift. It's not there anymore. Everything else on that shelf is just the way it always was, but the rose is gone."

"Hmm," said Io. On a hunch, he picked through the heap of jewelry on the table next to him. Now that he was thinking about it, he could remember seeing Akoya wear most of these pieces before. He had a keen eye for such valuables, and remembered them more clearly than the extravagant costumes Akoya wore. Just as he had suspected, two pieces were missing: the silver and lapis bracelet, and the mother of pearl peacock comb. Everything else, he'd left behind, but he'd taken the things that Ryuu and Io had given him personally. Almost, Io decided, as if he'd had a sentimental attachment to them...

"We really messed up, didn't we?" said Ryuu softly.

"We really did," Io agreed. Then his expression hardened. "But it isn't too late to fix things."

"What are we going to do?" Ryuu asked. "He's already gone."

"He can't have gone far," Io retorted. "I'm going to get the palace guard, and I'm going to get every soldier in this city looking for him, and we are going to find him."

A slow, faint smile appeared on Ryuu's face.

"Sounds like a plan," he said.

* * *

Kinshiro sat staring down at the crystal in his hands. It was quiet now, its magic dulled. He sincerely doubted that Akoya would be speaking to him through it again. Odds were, they would never speak to each other again at all. Akoya, who had been his friend for years, practically the last person Kinshiro would have ever expected to leave him...

With a snarl, Kinshiro threw the stone across the room. It smashed into a vase that perched on top of his wardrobe and shattered it to pieces. Kinshiro sat listening to the rain of broken pottery, hands clenched in frustration.

"Why?" he shouted at the empty room. "Why does this keep happening? Why do people keep doing this to me? Why does everyone I like even a little leave me for someone else?"

There was no answer. He sat there for a few moments, breathing heard, feeling his pulse hammering in his ears. All his training and instincts told him that he needed to calm down, to look at the situation rationally, but his emotions weren't having it. Disgusted with himself, he pushed back his chair and went to pick up the shards of broken vase. Never mind that there were servants to do that sort of thing for him. He needed something productive to do with himself, before he was reduced to kicking his feet and bawling like a child.

At least he'd never liked that vase very much. It had been a preposterously expensive but preposterously ugly gift from some diplomat or other, which was why it had been relegated to the top of his wardrobe in the first place. If he'd had any sense, he'd have found a way to "accidentally" break it years ago. Now he patiently used a handkerchief to sweep up all the bits of broken pottery and dump them into a trash bin. Then he climbed up on a chair to collect the base of the vessel and any other shards that might not have made it to the floor.

He came face to face with the box. He stared at it, going very still. It had been years since he had been so close to this box. Most of the time, he tried to forget it existed. Any other time, he might have simply let his eyes slide over it, pushed the thought of it away, and gone on with whatever he had been doing. But today he was hurting, and that pain left cracks in him through which other feelings could slip through. He wanted comfort, companionship, and all the other good things that the letters in that box had once represented, and even knowing that it would be a false comfort wasn't enough to stop him from gabbing the box and carrying it to his desk. In one swift motion, he had opened the lid and poured out its contents. On top of the pile was the first letter Atsushi had ever sent him. With shaking hands, Kinshiro gently unfolded it and began to read.

They had written so many of these letters, in the short time they'd known each other. So much of their time had been caught up in court activities - Atsushi with his duties as prince, Kinshiro in his role as visiting diplomat - that they'd not had nearly as much time together as they would have liked. They compensated by sending notes back and forth to each other. No matter where they were or what they were doing, there was always a page or runner nearby who would pass the notes along. They might go through two dozen in a day, sometimes, everything from short observations on what they were seeing and doing, on up to multi-page letters written during long dull meetings. It hardly mattered what the words were, because the underlying message was always the same: _I care about you, and I want to share everything with you_. Kinshiro had managed to forget just how many of these notes there were and just what a range of subjects they covered, but having them here in front of him brought it all back.

And the strange thing was, the more Kinshiro read, the harder it was for him to keep in mind the idea of the cunning, deliberate betrayer. How could someone who was planning to put a knife in his back feel moved to share with him these childhood recollections, these laughing anecdotes about funny things the more eccentric courtiers had done, these wistful dreams of a life outside the confined courts of the Arborean palace? Would someone who was planning treachery really care enough to write things like, _I'm so sorry, I should have warned you how much spice they put in the mushroom soup!_ or fill paragraphs with recollections about his favorite childhood pony? It all seemed so pure and innocent...

 _Could I have had it wrong? No, that's not possible - I know what I heard. Even so, it's strange..._

At the bottom of the pile - what had been the top before he'd turned the box upside-down - was a stack of letters that were still sealed shut. One had been left in his room the night Kinshiro had packed to leave, and he'd just shoved it in his bag without bothering to open it. The rest had been delivered later, after he'd gotten home, and he'd shoved them in the box with the rest without looking at them more than he could help. They were all still sealed, waiting. He looked at them with a mix of longing and trepidation. There was no point in opening them. That part of his life was over for good, and there was nothing in them that would make him feel any better about it. And yet, in the hour or so it had taken him to read the rest, he had felt almost like nothing had gone wrong and he and Atsushi were still together. He felt like a relapsed drunkard after a long spell of abstinence, knowing what he was doing to himself was hurting him and unable to resist. He ripped open a letter and scanned it hungrily.

At first, it was just like all the others, full of friendly chatter, recounting the day's events and responding to comments Kinshiro had made in his previous letter. It wasn't until nearly the end that Kinshiro read something that made him sit up and stare. He read the paragraph again, very slowly.

 _Something good is happening tonight. My old friend En is coming home from university. Do you remember the friend I was telling you about before, the one who made that so-called philosopher so angry by pointing out all the flaws in his logic? That was En. He's been away at school learning to become a wizard. Everyone says he's really talented, but I think he only started learning because he's so lazy - he doesn't want to have to walk across a room if he can just make things disappear and reappear when he wants them! Somehow I always ended up looking after him. I hope he's been doing all right at school without me - sometimes I don't know how he survived before I met him. I know, I'm kind of making him sound awful, but he's not like that at all. He's really smart and kind and loyal, and always willing to listen to me. I know you'll like him once you meet him. That's why I want to ask - do you think when we're married, you could give him a place in your court? A wizard is always a useful thing to have around, and it will make me feel better about moving to your place if I have a friend with me..._

Kinshiro's heart seemed to stop. The phrases seemed to burn on the page: "I don't know how he survived..." "Moving to your place..." This letter had been delivered the night Kinshiro had seen Atsushi embracing the tall sleepy-eyed blond - a man he now realized wasn't a secret lover, but an old friend just returned home from school. When the man had said "I don't know how much longer I can get by without you," he hadn't been talking about a passionate affair. He'd just been a lazy man missing being taken care of by his best friend, and the only "place" he'd wanted was a position in Kinshiro's court, where he could live in comfort without too much effort like the rest of Kinshiro's courtiers.

 _If only I'd asked..._

With a sinking heart, Kinshiro scanned the rest of the letters. The next was much like the ones before - cheerful, full of news, recounting the details of En's visit without a trace of guilt. Then came notes of increasing unhappiness and worry, wondering why Kinshiro wasn't answering his letters anymore. Was Kinshiro very busy getting settled back into court? Had the letters perhaps gone astray? Atsushi had tried a few different methods of getting mail to him, even going so far as to beg En to send one magically - had any of them gotten through? Then, most heartbreaking of all, came the resignation. For whatever reason, it was obvious that Kinshiro wouldn't or couldn't respond. Atsushi would miss him, but he hoped that whatever was going on, Kinshiro was safe and happy...

Kinshiro couldn't read any more. He lay down on his desk, face buried in his arms, and let despair wash over him. He had gotten it all wrong. For one glorious moment, he had been within days of marrying his one true love, and he'd let it all fall apart because of his paranoia and stupidity. All he'd ever needed to do was confront Atsushi and ask for answers, and he would have gotten them. He should have strode into the room and asked what was going on. He should have collared Atsushi at breakfast the next morning. He should have read that letter, or any of the ones that followed. He'd had so many opportunities to set things right, and he'd stubbornly let them all slip past him. Now it was too late to turn back. What could he even do? Send a message to Atsushi saying, "Sorry I haven't spoken to you in over a year, but I thought you were plotting my death, can we get back together?" Not even someone as generous and kind as Atsushi could forgive him for that level of distrust. How could anyone expect to have a relationship with someone who was that ready to believe the worst of them on such slender evidence? They couldn't, and even if Atsushi could, so what? By now, he'd probably found someone better than Kinshiro - maybe even the selfsame wizard Kinshiro had been so suspicious of - and settled down happily.

Kinshiro would never see him again. He'd never hear him laugh again, never hold his hand or kiss him under the stars, never admire the way the sun glinted off his hair. He could never make up for the way he'd hurt him and left him alone. Kinshiro lay there feeling his eyes burning and wishing that the castle would collapse and bury him.

The castle didn't collapse. All that happened was that someone knocked on the door. Kinshiro raised his head to glare at it.

"This had better be good!" he snapped.

The door opened, and Arima leaned in.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting," he said, "but there's something I thought you'd want to know."

Kinshiro narrowed his eyes. It was no good snapping at Arima, no matter how bad Kinshiro might be feeling at the moment. He was running out of friends as it was.

"What is it?" he asked warily. In the mood he was in, he was certain it couldn't possibly be good news.

"Our scouts just sent the word in," said Arima. "The Arborean Empire is sending an embassy to Golden Springs to discuss diplomatic relations with the new king."

"So?" Kinshiro demanded.

"Well," said Arima, and for once his voice was uncertain, "one of the people in the embassy is Prince Atsushi."


	8. In Which Akoya Compounds His Crimes

Akoya had never been outside the palace after dark. He was not finding it an altogether pleasant experience. Io's capital city was a good one, prosperous and well-run, and getting better all the time. Even so, Io had only been king for a few weeks, and he hadn't had time to make but so many improvements. The city was safe enough during the day, but after dark, the more unsavory elements began to emerge. Akoya kept his hood pulled low over his face, trying to avoid the drunken revelers and occasional ladies of the night who swaggered or sauntered past. All he had in mind for the moment was finding some safe, hidden place to hole up for the night. A place to bed down would be even better, but he wasn't going to push his luck. He didn't dare check in to any of the major public houses, on the off chance that someone would recognize him, and he didn't know where else to go.

"And people think having a privileged upbringing makes life easier," he muttered.

He hugged his cloak more closely around him. During the day, the sun baked the city, but now it was dark and the air had a bite to it. He thought longingly of being in his own snug bed, wrapped in soft blankets and perhaps someone else's arms.

 _No, that won't help. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and figure out what you're going to do tonight._

He was aware that the street he had wandered into did not look particularly wholesome, and he wondered if that was a good thing or a bad one. A good neighborhood would be safer from ruffians, but probably also had more guards on patrol, any one of whom might be a little overzealous about exercising their scimitars in the king's defense. A bad neighborhood might make it easier for him to go unnoticed by the guards, but...

"Well, hey there, Prettyface," said a voice from the shadows. "Haven't seen you around here before."

"You look cold," said another. "Come over here and let us warm you up!"

"Working tonight?" asked a third. "How much do you charge?"

"More than you could afford," said Akoya tartly.

Four rough-looking young men came oozing out of an alley to form a loose ring around Akoya. They smelled of sweat and cheap wine, making Akoya's nose wrinkle. Io and Ryuu were always clean, and these days usually smelled of the perfumed soaps and lotions he brewed for him - infinitely more pleasant to Akoya's senses. These men were tall and brawny, a good deal more of both than Akoya, but they had a softness around their middles that suggested they probably weren't using their muscles as much as they might. Akoya regarded them with a small frown.

"Come on, honey," cooed one of them. "Why don't you give us a smile?"

"Because," said Akoya, "I've just suffered a rejection, I've been kicked out of my home, the royalty of two nations is angry at me, I'm cold and tired and I haven't had dinner yet, and _you louts_ are trying to get me to smile at you. Go away."

"Hey, now, don't be like that," said one of the men. He stepped closer, holding out his arms. "If you're feeling lonely, I can... oof!"

The man staggered backwards, made momentarily breathless by the force of Akoya's foot driving into his gut. For all that Akoya looked slim and delicate, he was still a dancer, and dancers had strong legs. The man landed in the arms of his comrades, who were no longer looking at Akoya with such approval. Akoya watched them coolly. In the mood he was in, he was almost glad for a fight.

"You don't really want to try it," he said.

Apparently they did. The man who wasn't holding up his fallen friend rushed at Akoya, who whipped up one foot and kicked him hard in the chin. His head snapped back so sharply that Akoya wondered if he had broken the man's neck, but when he fell, he curled up and groaned a bit, so Akoya decided he wasn't hurt enough to be worth worrying about. The two who had been propping up their comrade released him and rushed Akoya at the same time. He danced lightly out of the way, dodging one and grabbing the other by the elbow to spin him around and slam him into a wall. The other one skidded to a halt, changed direction, and rushed back at Akoya, who tripped him and sent him sprawling. He smacked against the same wall his friend had recently encountered, but had a softer landing, mostly because he managed to fall on top of his prone companion. The lone remaining man, having gotten his wind back, made a second charge at Akoya, roaring and raising his fist. This time, Akoya didn't even bother aiming for the gut this time. His heel came firmly in contact with his attacker's groin, and then, when the man doubled over, he jerked his knee up into the man's solar plexus. The lout collapsed, gasping and retching.

"I told you so," said Akoya primly.

He stepped over his fallen adversary and walked back to where one of the less damaged men had fallen. Akoya grabbed the man by the hair and raised his head.

"Hello," he said, in his sweetest tones. "I think we got off on the wrong foot. You see, I'm in a _very_ bad mood tonight, and I want a place where I can eat and rest without anyone asking too many questions. If you tell me where to find a place like that, I'll go away and won't hurt you anymore. Won't that be nice?"

The man gurgled something.

"That's what I thought," said Akoya.

Within a few minutes, he had the address of a run-down boarding house on the fringes of town, which he was assured had an honest proprietor, clean beds, and not-too-awful food. Akoya, having inspected the place, was less than certain of this, but he handed over a few coins anyway, keeping his hood down to hide his face from view, and accepted a chunk of coarse bread and watery soup in exchange. The room he was shown to was bare and run-down but scrupulously clean. Akoya, used to sleeping on a goosedown mattress with silk sheets, wrinkled his nose in distaste, but was forced to admit it was the best he was going to do on such short notice. He could manage, for one night.

Still, there were things he could do to make it better. He locked the door behind him, then shoved a chair beneath the handle and wedged it tightly in place. He closed and latched the shutters as well. Then he took the pitcher of scummy water next to the night stand, set it on the windowsill, and tied the handle to the latch with one of his hair ribbons. Only after those preparations were complete did he eat his meager meal, put out the lamp, and lie down to sleep.

He had been lying awake for a few minutes, staring into the dark, when he heard the door rattle.

 _Bother,_ he thought. _I must have overpaid. Either that, or someone saw my jewelry..._

The door rattled a few more times, but the chair held, and eventually the intruder went away. Akoya continued to wait. After a few minutes, he heard a new sound coming from the window - a soft scraping noise that might, for example, be someone trying to push the latch open from the outside with the blade of a knife. Then there was a creak as the shutters swung gently outward...

And a splash, as the jug tipped over and fell, water and all, onto the intruder. There was a yelp of surprise that became a drawn-out cry as the would-be thief lost his grip in surprised and plummeted into the street. Akoya got up and peered out the window. His jug was still swinging gently at the end of the ribbon. He untied it and threw it down into the dark. It hit something that went "Ow!"

"If you liked that," he called down to them, "just wait until you see where I've hidden the chamber pot."

Then he closed the shutters and went back to bed. This time, no one bothered him.

* * *

Io had passed a sleepless night. He had mobilized his soldiers and sent them out to look for Akoya, fully expecting that they would find him in fairly short order. But the hours passed, and there was no word of him. Worried and heartsick, Io and Ryuu had finally gone to bed, but Io had gotten no rest. He'd lain awake, expecting at any moment to hear word that Akoya had been found and was safe at home again. Even with Ryuu next to him, offering what comfort he could. Io had still felt cold. When he had dozed off for a minute or two, it was to dream unsettling things - that the guards had found Akoya and slain him, that he'd been found but refused to accept Io's apology, that by the time they had found him Kinshiro's people had already caught him and hauled him off to be executed for treason. By the time the sun finally peeked through his windows, Io was feeling headachey and slightly ill. He rolled over and groaned.

"Awake now?" asked Ryuu, somewhere above him. He sounded tired, too.

Io groaned. "What time is it?"

"About four hours past dawn," said Ryuu. "You looked tired so I let you sleep in."

Io jolted upright, throwing off his covers. "That late? How could you let me oversleep like that?"

"I exercised my authority," said Ryuu. "You didn't sleep a wink last night and I know it. Nothing was going on that you can't put off until tomorrow, so I let you rest."

Io sighed. "So he's not back yet."

"Sorry," said Ryuu, shaking his head. "No sign of him anywhere, and the guards say they looked."

"I'm not really surprised," Io said resignedly. "Akoya's too smart to let himself get caught right away."

"Do you think he's still in the city?" Ryuu asked.

Io flung up his hands in frustration. "I don't know anymore. I can't think."

The thought, _I wish Akoya were here, he'd know what to do,_ flashed across his mind, and he grimaced. If Io had been panicking over something like this yesterday, Akoya would have been there with his ready supply of shoulder rubs and soothing concoctions. He'd have calmed Io down, and Ryuu would have braced him up again and gotten him energized to go take care of whatever needed doing. Trying to cope with one of them missing felt like trying to get out of bed and realizing too late that one of his legs had vanished in the night.

Io was still grappling with that idea when one of the palace servants rapped on the door.

"What is it now?" Io demanded, rather ungraciously.

The servant peeked inside.

"Your majesty," he said, "the delegation from the Arborean Empire is here, and we've just received a message that the prince of White Sands is making a surprise visit."

"Oh, hell," Ryuu muttered. "That's _all_ we need."

"Crown Prince Kinshiro is coming here?" asked Io, suddenly on alert.

"Yes, your majesty," the servant agreed. "We got the news early this morning. Apparently he departed very abruptly yesterday evening. Our informants say he's been traveling very swiftly with a small entourage, and he's expected to be here some time tonight."

"Yesterday evening," said Io slowly. He looked to Ryuu. "Do you think...?"

Ryuu shrugged. "Don't see what else it could be."

"What a mess," Io groaned.

The servant looked awkward. "So... about the Arborean embassy...?"

"Tell them whatever you want," Io snapped. The servant began to withdraw, and he added, "No, wait. Tell him I've been unavoidably detained by a serious diplomatic incident. Get him and his party settled into rooms. While they're doing that, round up a guide and have someone take Prince Atsushi around the city to see the sights. See if you can round up some dancers or jugglers or something and get them to put on a show for him at the grand pavilion. And make up the best guest room for Prince Kinshiro, just in case he really does show up tonight."

"Of course, your majesty," said the servant, looking relieved now that there was a plan in place. "I'll have rooms arranged at once, and I'll talk to Akoya about..." There he went very pale and swallowed hard. "I'll talk to someone about entertainment."

Then he fled, not even bothering to close the door behind him. Io was grateful for that. It meant he could vent his feelings by slamming it.

Ryuu came up behind Io and put his arms around him.

"It's okay," he murmured.

Io turned so he could bury his face against Ryuu's hair. "It's not okay. It's getting worse by the moment. What is Kinshiro doing here? What made him hurry over so fast?"

"I don't know," said Ryuu, "but we're going to deal with this, okay? I believe in you. You're smart. You can figure out a way. I trust you."

Io sniffled a little. "You're right. This is no time to fall apart. All right, here's what we're going to do. We're going to get every guard, every messenger, every page boy and runner, every street urchin who's willing to run errands for a penny, and we're going to start spreading the word. We're going to tell everyone that Akoya was falsely accused, he's been pardoned, and we want him to come back. One way or another, we're going to find him before the prince gets here."

"What if Akoya doesn't believe us?" Ryuu asked. "What if he thinks it's all a trick?"

"He won't," said Io positively. "He's smart enough to realize that we can't make such a public declaration of his innocence and then turn around and convict him. But we've got to move fast. He may have already left the city by now."

Very slowly, Ryuu began to grin.

"Then let's get going."

* * *

Akoya had not left the city. He wasn't even very far from the palace. At the moment, he was sitting on the roof of a low building, tucked under the shadow of its neighbor's roof, eating a bag of candied dates and watching what was going on in the city square. His dinner last night may well have been inadequate, but he'd made up for it by waiting until the market began to get lively and then just walking up to stalls and buying what he wanted. The average citizen on the streets may or may not have heard that the king's favorite concubine had been convicted of treason, but none of them had ever been fortunate enough to see said concubine perform. Even when Akoya went out into the market to buy things, he always went veiled. As long as he avoided the stalls where he was well-known and didn't let any guards get too close to him, he had realized that he could walk about right out in the open and no one would notice him. All the same, he had decided not to take too many chances, and had retreated to this pleasant spot to finish his lunch and think about what to do next. It might have been hot and dusty down in the market, but up here, he could enjoy the shade and the occasional breeze and almost feel cool.

 _For being in dire straits,_ he mused, _this isn't half bad._

He'd had another piece of luck that morning, too. It turned out that grungy little hole-in-the-wall inns were good places to pick up gossip. His breakfast had consisted of stale bread, murky tea, and eavesdropping, and he'd picked up one valuable fact: an embassy from the Arborean Empire was arriving that day. Akoya knew all about the Arborean Empire, thanks to Kinshiro's ill-fated engagement, and had therefore been interested. That was how he happened to know that the embassy was being led by none other than the man who had so dramatically broken Kinshiro's heart a year ago. That opened up some fascinating possibilities.

That was why Akoya was sitting on a roof, eating his dessert and waiting for something to happen. He had observed some workmen hastily setting up a stage in the grand pavilion, and had guessed shrewdly that this was to be some sort of honor or entertainment for the visiting prince. He had been even more certain when he'd seen a few more workmen hanging up banners in Arborean green and white on every vertical surface they could attach things to, even going so far as to string long ropes of them across the street. At one point, Akoya had been forced to retreat to the other side of the building to avoid being spotted by people hanging them near his chosen hiding place. All the same, he rather liked the banners. They added a festive touch to the city, and even more importantly, they were giving him ideas.

Sure enough, after some time had elapsed, people began gathering around the stage looking anticipatory. Akoya's sharp eye noted the men in green uniforms. He couldn't see if they were armed, not with the press of bodies around them, but he guessed all the same that they must be the prince's guards. That must mean the man at the center of them must be the prince himself. He fit the description Kinshiro had given, anyway - slender, dark-haired, on the tall side, wearing spectacles. He looked, Akoya thought, rather ill-at-ease, as if he'd like to give all these formidable guards around him the slip and go find some quiet corner to unwind in, but that might have been only Akoya's preconceived notions. The letters Kinshiro had sent home during his months in the Empire had given Akoya the idea of a rather shy, retiring man who didn't like being at the center of a lot of fuss, which had made it even more of a surprise when Kinshiro had come home with news of a treacherous plot.

 _I would certainly like to get to know you better, my young prince._

A performance started. Akoya watched critically as a dozen or so female dancers in filmy draperies flitted across the stage.

 _Second rate,_ he thought. He wished it were he up on that stage, performing for a prince. What a pity it was that things hadn't waited a day or two to fall apart like this, if they had to fall apart at all. Akoya felt sure that he would have given such a performance as to persuade the prince to strike an alliance on the spot, just so he could have more opportunities of seeing Akoya dance.

On the other hand, if this were not all happening now, there might not be such a good opportunity for getting what he needed. Akoya waited patiently, gauging his moment.

It came when the performance finally ended, and the crowds began to disperse. Dispersing crowds were always a little uncertain - some people going this way, some that, some lingering to reflect on what they had just seen or to hash over the performance with their companions. For just those few seconds, the crowds would be distracted and unfocused, and the guards around the prince would be trying to look in every direction at once. This time, they were going to be looking in the wrong direction.

Akoya moved. Agile as a monkey, he shimmied down one of the dangling banners, grabbed one of the ropes of dangling flags, and began swinging himself hand over hand across the street. There, he grabbed for another banner and began clambering his way up the road, closer to the stage and the prince. When he had gotten as near as he dared, he grabbed hold of the next string of flags, whipped out a knife, and slashed the rope clean through. People had noticed him now, and were pointing and exclaiming, but it was too late for him to stop now. He gripped the rope tightly, kicked off the side of the building, and swung.

People screamed and scrambled to get out of his way, so that he landed unhindered in the middle of the street. Guards clustered around him, already reaching for their weapons. Akoya threw off his hood and veil and smiled sweetly at them. The guards stopped, momentarily confused.

"Hello, boys," Akoya purred. "Care to dance?"

Not long ago, there would have been a time when Akoya would have hesitated to pick a fight with six armed men. Today was not that day. Fighting off the louts in the alley had given him confidence, and more importantly, some idea of his own abilities. With another quick slash of the knife, he cut a few feet of cord from the rope he'd been swinging on and let the rest fall away. He sheathed the knife and instead gripped the bit of rope in both hands and assumed a defensive posture, waiting for the guards to make their next move.

"Now look here," said one, apparently deciding to be conciliatory, "I don't know what exactly you're trying to pull, but..."

Akoya whipped his rope around the man's neck and gave it a good sharp pull. It wasn't enough to really hurt the man, but it surprised him, and he stumbled forward. Akoya tripped him and let him fall, then jumped on top of him to make sure he'd stay down. The other men rushed at him, and they began to fight.

For a few seconds, Akoya was very busy with ducking and dodging, kicking and jumping. He lashed about with his length of rope, tangling people's arms and legs to pull them off-balance. It was very probable that if the fight had gone on too long, he might have come off the worse, but for now, the guards were only trying to subdue him, not hurt him. He was, after all, only a pretty young man with a piece of rope, and it would be an embarrassment if it took six men with swords to bring him down. The more frustrated they got with him, though, the more likely it was that they would forget their pride and simply do whatever it took to put him in his place.

But it wasn't Akoya's goal to defeat a crew of hardened soldiers using only a piece of rope. What he wanted was the prince, and the prince seemed as eager to get away from his guard as Akoya was. As soon as he realized that this fight wasn't going to be as quick and decisive as he thought, he took to his heels and ran. Akoya noted the direction he'd gone, compared it to his mental map of the city, and smiled slightly. The guards had been too busy dodging him to notice the prince they were guarding had disappeared.

"Well, this has been fun," he said, "but I really have to go."

He grabbed one of the men by the arm, swung him around so that he bowled into three of his fellows. Then he dove between the legs of a fourth man, rolled onto his back, and delivered a swift kick to his behind that sent him sprawling. He immediately sprang back to his feet, just in time to face the final guard and headbutt him on the chin. The big man staggered backwards with a yell of pain. That was as good an opening as Akoya was going to get. He ran for the dangling end of the cut rope and began swarming up it. By the time the fallen soldiers had pulled themselves together, Akoya was on the roof and out of sight.

Akoya ran, bounding from rooftop to rooftop. Beyond the main road, the city sprawled into innumerable little neighborhoods full of narrow alleys, most of them narrow enough that a suitably athletic man could vault across them easily. Akoya followed the path he deemed most probable for the prince to have taken, scanning the lanes from above. The whole fight had only taken a few seconds. Surely Prince Atsushi couldn't have gone too far in such a short time...

He hadn't. After a brief search, Akoya found his quarry sitting on someone's back steps, panting for breath and looking more than a little flustered. There were no other people around, and Akoya guessed that they were all still in the main road, gossiping with each other about the performance and what had come after it. Akoya scampered down to ground level and sauntered over to where the prince sat.

"Hello," he said brightly, leaning over him. "Am I correct in guessing that you are Prince Atsushi of the Arborean Empire?"

"That's right," the prince replied. Then, looking as if he'd only just realized that might not be the brightest thing to say, he added, "Who are you? Why did you attack my men just now?"

"My name is Akoya of the house of Gero," Akoya answered pleasantly, "and I'm here to kidnap you."

Atsushi looked alarmed. "What if I don't want to be kidnaped?"

"I have rope," said Akoya, holding up the article in question. "I could tie you up if it would help, but I would much rather we didn't have to go to that extreme. It might be best if we could sit down and talk everything through sensibly like rational people. I would really like to explain myself, and I need someone who is willing to listen to my problem and who has the authority to do something about it."

Atsushi gave him a look that suggested he didn't really believe Akoya was capable of doing _anything_ rational, but he said, "I'm willing to listen."

"Good," said Akoya. "Can you climb?"

The answer, it turned out, was yes. The Arborean Empire was, as the name suggested, very fond of trees, and every child old enough to toddle learned how to climb them. The prince had no trouble at all in scampering up the side of a building with the help of some windowsills and ornamental carvings. Soon he and Akoya were relaxing on a roof looking up at the endless blue sky.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Atsushi asked. He laughed a little. "I suppose I ought to thank you for this. I really wasn't enjoying being hauled around the city like that. I don't mind a little sightseeing, but I have the feeling I'm being given the brush-off. I don't think the king is very happy to see me."

Akoya gave him an interested look. "Now, why would you say that, I wonder?"

"Oh, I don't think it's anything to do with me personally," said Atsushi. "I just think he has something else on his mind right now, and I'm interrupting whatever it is."

"I think I can explain that," said Akoya, with a grim smile. "You see, up until last night, the king had a witty, talented, and absolutely gorgeous concubine, who unfortunately turned out to be a spy for the kingdom next door. As you might imagine, his majesty is perhaps feeling a bit put out right now."

"Ahh," said Atsushi. He gave Akoya a narrow-eyed look. "And you know that because... how?"

"I'm the spy," said Akoya.

Atsushi nodded, having clearly expected the answer.

"So what does this have to do with kidnaping me?" he asked.

"Just what I said," Akoya replied. "I need someone to listen to me - a go-between, if you will. You see, the thing is... well, when I started all this, I thought it was going to be simple. I'd come in, I'd coax out the king's dirty little secrets, whatever they are, and then I'd pass them on to my prince and he'd use them to conquer the kingdom."

"You're not really winning my sympathy, here."

" _Listen,_ " Akoya insisted. "That was how I thought it was going to be, not how it is. I never thought I was going to get emotionally involved. You see, I..." He hesitated, stumbling over his words. Haltingly, he went on, "I really do... love Io and Ryuu. I do. I didn't know that was going to happen. I was going to tell my prince that I didn't want to be a spy anymore - that I want to stay here and devote myself completely to my new life."

"Ahh." Atsushi's expression softened. "But they don't believe you?"

"No," Akoya admitted. "I was in the middle of handing in my resignation, so to speak, when they walked in on the the conversation and drew somewhat the wrong conclusion. Now they're convinced I'm nothing but a spy and anything I say to the contrary is just trying to cover up my tracks, so if they catch me I'll be executed for treason. On the other hand, my prince is now angry at me for turning on him and choosing Io and Ryuu instead, so if he catches me I'll be executed for treason."

"You're in a bind, all right," Atsushi agreed, "but what do you want me to do about it?"

"Ideally," said Akoya, "I'd like for you to intercede with the king and prince on my behalf. See if you can get them to calm down and let me explain matters to them."

"And if they refuse?"

Akoya shrugged. "I'm afraid my only choice will be to try turning you over to Prince Kinshiro in exchange for clemency."

That declaration did not get the reaction Akoya expected. Instead of looking worried or alarmed, Atsushi suddenly sat straight up, eyes shining and cheeks going slightly pink.

"Kinshiro? You know Prince Kinshiro?" he asked. "How is he? Is he all right? What's been happening to him?"

Akoya regarded his companion with narrowed eyes. "You seem very interested in him."

"Well, of course," said Atsushi, going even more red. "I mean, we used to be... you know, engaged."

 _Why, he still has feelings for him,_ Akoya thought. Strong ones, if that blush was anything to go by. Not at all the expression of a man who had been coolly plotting to kill a king and place his own lover on the throne in his stead.

"I believe I have heard something of the sort," Akoya agreed.

"I never knew why he broke it off," Atsushi said softly. "He just left one night in a big hurry. He never answered any of my letters after that - I don't even know if he got them. He was just... gone."

"I could explain it," said Akoya. "Would it surprise you to know that the reason why Kinshiro departed in such a rush that night was because he believed there was a plot against his life?"

Atsushi looked alarmed. "He did? But who? Who would want to do such a thing."

"According to him," said Akoya, "you did."

Atsushi spluttered in what looked to Akoya like genuine shock and indignation.

"What? No! I would never!" he exclaimed. "I don't believe it!"

"That's the story he tells," said Akoya. "I personally always suspected something was off about it. I would like very much to hear your side of the story. Let me tell you how I heard it..."

There followed several minutes of fascinating conversation, as Akoya filled Atsushi in on what Kinshiro had told him about the collapse of their relationship, and Atsushi helped him piece together what had actually happened. Akoya found Atsushi's version of events far more plausible than Kinshiro's. Even after such a short acquaintance, Akoya could hardly believe that Atsushi was the conniving backstabber Kinshiro had painted him as. The idea that Kinshiro had overheard some scraps of conversation and extrapolated the worst possible meaning from them seemed far more likely.

"But poor Kinshiro," Atsushi murmured, when they had wrapped up their explanations. "He must have been so upset."

"Devastated," Akoya agreed. "I don't think he ever really got over it."

"I wish I'd known," said Atsushi.

"You really had no idea?" Akoya asked.

Atsushi shook his head. "I thought... well, I thought at first that maybe my letters were just getting lost. Then I thought maybe his family had decided I wasn't good enough for him. I'm not a very important prince, after all, and Kinshiro will be king someday. Or I thought maybe he'd found someone else and couldn't bring himself to tell me."

He looked so downcast that Akoya began to feel a certain amount of sympathy for him. They were both in the same boat, after all, rejected by someone they loved over something that was not their fault.

"You would still take him back? Even now, knowing how little he trusted you?" Akoya asked.

Atsushi nodded firmly. "I know he's not perfect, but I loved him, and I still miss him. I'd at least like a chance to talk to him again and make him understand that I never wanted to hurt him. Even if he doesn't want me back, maybe he can at least get over it and move on."

 _Kinshiro, get over something and move on?_ thought Akoya amused. _Who do you think you're talking about?_ Privately, Akoya thought that if someone could convince Kinshiro that this had all been a misunderstanding and that Atsushi still wanted him back, Kinshiro would find a way for the two of them to be married or at least re-engaged within the hour.

And that, Akoya decided, could only be a good thing for him. If nothing else, a Kinshiro who was busy gazing dreamily at his beloved was probably not going to be a Kinshiro who was busy thinking of terrible things to do to Akoya. He'd probably forgive Akoya anything if Akoya was the one who brought Atsushi back to him. Akoya began to smile.

"You know," he said, "I think you and I are about to become very good friends."


	9. In Which Kinshiro Makes Declarations

Kinshiro's heart was racing. He stared up at the facade of the royal palace and tried to fight down the urge to turn around and go home. What had possessed him to come all the way out here on such short notice? What did he think he was going to do? He hadn't thought this through at all, a decision he was now heartily regretting.

Arima set a hand on Kinshiro's shoulder.

"It's all right," he said. "This can just be a visit of state if that's what you want it to be."

Kinshiro gave him a grateful look. Arima was the only one of his retinue who had any clear idea what this trip was all about. The rest had only heard some blather about "urgent official business", but Arima was the one who had seen Kinshiro take the news that Atsushi was here in this kingdom and respond with "We're leaving, right now." He was smart enough to know what had brought Kinshiro this far.

 _Maybe I should ask him to figure out what to do next._

But no, this was something he had to do on his own. More than ever, he ached to see Atsushi again, to see his smile and hear his laugh, to know that he was well and thriving... and perhaps missing him? The tone of his last few letters had suggested that while he was sorry things had not worked out, he didn't blame Kinshiro for whatever had happened. He didn't know why Kinshiro had left him so abruptly, because Kinshiro had never told him. As far as he knew, Kinshiro was blameless. Kinshiro could pretend their meeting now was sheer accident. He could invent some excuse - claim that his great-uncle the king had intervened, perhaps. Atsushi would believe him. They could renew their old ties, and maybe this time...

Of course, Kinshiro would have to tell him the truth eventually, but not until they were on firmer footing. Say, for example, _after_ they were safely married. He was almost certain Atsushi would forgive him. That was the sort of person he was. As for Kinshiro, he would willingly spend the rest of his life doing whatever it took to reassure Atsushi that he had learned his lesson and would never make so foolish a mistake again. They could have another chance.

Kinshiro looked up at his old friend and forced a smile. "No, I don't think so, but thank you anyway."

Arima smiled and gave Kinshiro's shoulder a quick, reassuring squeeze before letting go.

"You'll be fine," he said.

Kinshiro nodded and felt a tiny bit reassured. He gazed up at the palace again. Where was Atsushi now, he wondered? Was he relaxing in a room in there somewhere? Exploring the royal library? Deep in consultation with the king? Or perhaps someone was showing him around the city now, just as he had so often shown Kinshiro around his own city? And what was taking so long, anyway? A visit of state from a neighboring prince, even an unexpected one, should have accorded more respect than this.

At last, the doors opened, and King Io himself, flanked by his consort, stepped out, with a quartet of guards shadowing them. All of them looked grave and stern and not particularly happy to see Kinshiro on their doorstep.

"Your highness," said Io, taking a few steps closer. "I must say, I'm surprised to see you here."

"It was a spur of the moment decision," said Kinshiro smoothly. "I had an unexpected break in my schedule, and I decided it would be a good time to come and pay my respects in person."

Io's eyes narrowed slightly. "I see. Well, my hospitality is open to you and your people. Please, come inside out of the sun. We have much to talk about."

Kinshiro allowed himself to be led inside the palace. He had been there before, but that had been years ago, so he barely spared a glance at the decor. Instead, his eyes skimmed the perimeter of the room, hoping against hope that he would see a familiar face...

But Io and his retinue hustled Kinshiro off with almost unseemly haste to a consulting room. As soon as Io, Ryuu, and Kinshiro were sequestered out of the hearing of their companions, Io turned on Kinshiro.

"All right," he said. "Why did you really come here?"

"Ah..." For a moment, Kinshiro was completely confused. What did Io know, or care, about his relationship with Atsushi?

"You've got some nerve, you know?" said Ryuu, scowling at him. "Coming here, acting like this is some kind of visit of state when you know we just unearthed your spy last night. Do you think we're stupid or something?"

Oh. Right. That. In all the emotional tumult, Kinshiro had completely forgotten about Akoya. He supposed he should have given his old friend at least a passing thought.

"I think you have the wrong idea," said Kinshiro carefully.

"So this is, what, a big coincidence?" Ryuu persisted.

"Not exactly, but..." said Kinshiro, and stopped, because the king and his prince consort were both glaring at him in a way that made it clear that no polite formalities were going to cut any ice with them. He took a breath and tried again. "You can believe me or not as you will, but my presence here has nothing to do with Akoya. He's already made it clear to me where his loyalties lie, and as far as I'm concerned, he's yours to deal with now. I'm here on a completely different errand. You're more than welcome to pretend I'm not here."

Io gave him a cool look. "You'd like us to conveniently forget that you sent a man to spy on us and just let you have the run of the palace?"

 _Fat lot of good he did me,_ Kinshiro thought. Struggling to keep his cool, he said, "I regret that my behavior has given offense. You understand that under your grandfather's rule, our nations were at peace with each other. You were a new element, and I had no way of knowing whether or not the peace between our kingdoms would be threatened by your decisions. I deemed it prudent to have a watch set on you for the safety of my people. I apologize for the intrusion."

Ryuu rolled his eyes and muttered, "I don't believe this," under his breath. Kinshiro decided to ignore him.

"If you would like," he said, "we can discuss the matter at greater length later. I'm willing to make restitution if it will help to ease relationships between our people."

"Fine," said Io, still dubious. "So if you aren't here about Akoya, why _are_ you here?"

"I'll be honest with you," said Kinshiro. "The only reason I'm here is because I heard that Prince Atsushi of the Arborian Empire is here, and I have urgent business with him."

"I see," said Io. He regarded Kinshiro with a measuring look. "Well, he's not here at the moment. He went out to explore the city and see the sights, and he hasn't come back yet."

"I see," said Kinshiro. He didn't bother to hide his downcast expression. He'd already allowed as how he was only there to see Atsushi, so there was no point in trying to cover it up now. "When do you expect him back?"

"Who knows?" said Ryuu. "Soon, probably. He's been gone all day, and it's getting pretty close to dinnertime. Actually, I'm surprised he isn't here already."

Something about those words gave Kinshiro a momentary qualm. Some small, paranoid part of him was saying that somehow Atsushi had known he was coming and had conveniently taken himself away - probably all the way back to the Arborean empire. He squelched that thought as hard as he could. Atsushi was just out indulging his curiosity about a new place. He'd be back soon.

"What would you like me to do until then?" he asked.

"We have rooms prepared for you," said Io. "You may wait there for him. I have other matters to deal with today, but I'll make sure Prince Atsushi knows you're here waiting for him as soon as he gets back, which I'm sure will be any minute now. In the meantime, I can have someone show you to your..."

He was interrupted by a guard bursting into the room. The soldier immediately dropped to one knee.

"Sire!" he said. "I have news!" He cast a dubious glance at Kinshiro, and Kinshiro surmised that the man was uncertain whether or not to speak in front of an outside.

Io and Ryuu, however, looked suddenly and keenly interested.

"Speak," Io commanded.

The soldier swallowed hard. "Yes, sire. It's about Prince Atsushi..."

Kinshiro felt the world go cold.

"Yes?" he snapped. "Spit it out!"

The guard looked faintly irritated at being commanded by someone other than his king, but he went on grimly.

"The prince," he said, "has gone missing."

Kinshiro stared. "You don't mean..."

"Prince Atsushi was observing the entertainment arranged for him in the city center," the guard elaborated. "A hooded man attacked when the crowds began to disperse and the guards were distracted. The attacker and the prince both vanished, and we haven't been able to locate either of them."

Kinshiro felt himself grow cold. Atsushi, missing...

"Keep looking," Io snapped. "Let us know the instant anyone finds out anything."

"Yes, sire." The guard bowed and retreated. As soon as he was gone, Kinshiro wheeled on Io.

"This is your fault!" he snarled.

Io stared at him. "Excuse me?"

"This is your fault! Atsushi was a guest in your kingdom, and it was your responsibility to keep him safe!"

"He had his own personal guard..." Io began.

"I don't care," said Kinshiro. "You rule this kingdom, it's your responsibility to protect your people, and you've failed. Now Atsushi is in danger, and I am holding you personally responsible. If he doesn't come back here unharmed, I will ensure that my kingdom will declare war on yours, do you understand me?"

"You can't do that!" Ryuu blurted.

"I assure you that I can," Kinshiro replied. Actually, he wasn't entirely certain that he could. After all, he was only the prince, not yet a king. He couldn't just go around declaring wars whenever he felt like it, or he would have done so a long time ago. Well, never mind. In the mood he was in, he was almost ready to deal his ailing great-uncle a mercy stroke himself if it would get him what he wanted.

And if Atsushi didn't make it back – soon, alive, and in one piece – someone was _definitely_ going to die.

* * *

Atsushi vaulted across one of the narrow alleys and landed unsteadily on the roof. His arms pinwheeled wildly for a few seconds before he found his balance.

"Ha! This is kind of fun," he said, flashing a smile at Akoya.

Akoya smiled back, amused by his antics. It was nice to be spending an otherwise trying experience with someone who was such pleasant company. The two of them were winding their way through the city now, jumping from roof to roof, making detours and doubling back whenever the way ahead became too wide for them to cross. Atsushi was panting and slightly flushed - Akoya could tell _he_ didn't spend a few hours a day dancing and leaping about - but he was still as game as ever. That was good, because of the two of them, he had the best idea where they were going.

"Are we almost there?" Akoya asked. He wouldn't have liked to admit it, but it had been a long day, and would probably be a longer one before this was all over. A rest would have been welcome.

"I think so," said Atsushi. "It's hard to tell. I didn't exactly come this way the first time through, but I remember that building over there with the blue trim around the windows, and that temple over there with the copper spire, so I know we're close."

Akoya nodded. "And you're quite certain this friend of yours is going to be willing to help?"

"Oh, sure," said Atsushi. "He'd do anything for me. I mean, when he feels like it. It's kind of hard to know what will motivate him."

Akoya stared at him. "Is it too late to find another ally?"

"It's fine, it's fine," said Atsushi. "You'll understand when you meet him. Besides, who else have we got?"

Akoya was forced to admit that this was a point. He stopped arguing and continued following his guide across the rooftops. Eventually, Atsushi recognized the building where his retinue was staying. He was a prince, and was welcome in the king's palace, but the lower ranking members of his entourage were staying at a nearby inn. That was good. Akoya didn't quite feel up to trying to sneak back into Io's palace with a kidnapped prince in tow.

Invading an inn, however, was relatively easy. Atsushi helped him figure out which window they wanted, and Akoya used his borrowed scrap of rope to scramble down to the window ledge and let himself in. He was slightly dismayed to find the room occupied – only slightly because the room's only occupant was fast asleep. Akoya moved quietly out of the way, not wanting to wake the man before Atsushi was there to vouch for him. Atsushi, on the other hand, didn't bother trying not to make noise. The sleeping man never so much as stirred. Akoya wondered if perhaps he was drunk, to be so sound asleep so early in the day.

Atsushi didn't seem surprised at all. He walked right up to the sleeper and shook his shoulder gently.

"Come on, En, wake up," he said. "Something's happened."

The man made a protesting noise and tried to wrap himself up more tightly in his blankets. Atsushi shook him again, and this time the man groaned and sat up.

"What do you want, Atsushi?" he mumbled. "I was in the middle of something."

Akoya regarded the man with an interested gaze. So, this was the En who had given Kinshiro so much grief. Akoya supposed he could see where the jealousy had come in. Even just roused from sleep, the man was attractive, with his strawberry blond hair, sea blue eyes, and smooth complexion. Nevertheless, Akoya thought he was fairly skilled at reading the lines of attraction between people, and he suspected that Kinshiro had never really had anything to worry about. These two didn't have the energy between them that would suggest they had ever been lovers.

 _None of this ever would have happened if I'd been there with him. I'd have cleared all this up in five minutes, tops._

"You looked like you were in the middle of a nap to me," he remarked.

En looked quizzically at Akoya. "Who's this guy?"

"This is Akoya," said Atsushi. "He's kidnapped me. Want to come along? It's kind of fun."

"Is that what everyone has been so worked up about all afternoon?" En asked. "I was wondering."

"You were asleep," Akoya pointed out, in case anyone had missed it.

Atsushi smiled, looking amused. "En is an oneiromancer - a dream-magician. He can do more sound asleep than most of us can do while we're awake."

"Ahh," said Akoya, with more appreciation this time. He had heard of such skills, but he had never actually met someone who had them. Oneiromancers could walk outside their bodies when they were asleep, to stroll through other people's dreams if they cared to, or walk invisibly in the outside world and even affect things in it if they were strong enough. If this man En could do any of that, then he might be a useful ally, after all.

"I guess everyone's heard I'm gone by now, huh?" Atsushi asked.

"Everyone's going nuts," said En. "I've been trying to find you for the last fifteen minutes. What'd you have to go and run off for?"

Atsushi shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't run off, I got kidnapped. It wasn't my fault."

"Yeah, well," said En, "it's going to be your fault pretty soon if you don't get back to the palace before someone declares war."

"Our people wouldn't declare war over this, would they?" Atsushi asked. "I mean, I haven't been gone more than an hour or two."

"It's not them," said En. "It's White Sands. Prince Kinshiro is here."

"He's here?" Atsushi's face lit up with eagerness.

"Yeah, and he's pretty ticked off that you aren't, by the sound of it," said En. "He's told the king that it's all their fault you got kidnapped, and if you don't turn up safe and sound before he loses it completely, he's going to declare war and have this place torn apart."

"Then we've got to get over there!" Atsushi exclaimed.

He started for the door, but Akoya seized him by the arm and turned him around.

"Wait, wait, wait," he said. "As happy as I would be to see you and Kinshiro reconciled, have you thought about what you're going to say when you actually get there?"

Atsushi colored slightly. "Well, no. I just sort of figured I'd tell them I'm all right."

"That's all very well for you," said Akoya, "but what about me? With all due respect, your highness, I have no intention of letting you leave me out to dry. You seem to forget that quite a lot of people around here want my head on a plate."

"Oh, right. I forgot," said Atsushi, looking abashed.

"Well, I don't plan to," said Akoya. "Remember, you're still kidnapped. _And_ I told you what went wrong with Kinshiro the first time. That's got to be worth a little something."

"I guess so," Atsushi agreed. "So what do we do? I don't want to get you in trouble, but I do want to see Kinshiro, and I really don't want to start a war."

"Give me a minute, I'm thinking," said Akoya, waving a hand. He hadn't reckoned on Kinshiro showing up at just this moment and spoiling things. Having him around, angry and spoiling for a fight, made the situation more delicate, and he didn't think that just sending Atsushi into the palace to ask if they would please not have a war right now was going to help. Kinshiro might accept Atsushi's safe return as a reason to call off the fight, or he might just decide to take his prince and declare war anyway. Akoya did not care to be executed for his crimes, but he really didn't want anything to happen to Io and Ryuu, either. He needed to find a way to get himself back to the people he loved, get Atsushi reunited with Kinshiro, and stop this war before it could get started.

 _Rather a tall order. Ah, me, my work is never done..._

"I think," said Akoya slowly, "what we need is something that will make it clear that you getting kidnapped was not Io and Ryuu's fault - in fact, we need to put them in a position where he owes them for saving you, ideally, so he can't possibly justify a war. On the other hand..." He glanced at En. "Do you think they know I'm the kidnapper, back at the palace?"

"Let me work on that," said En.

He lay back down on his bed again and closed his eyes. The tension went out of his body, and his breathing became slower, then slower and slower yet, until he hardly seemed to be breathing at all. Akoya glanced at Atsushi with a look in his eyes that asked, " _Is this normal?_ Atsushi gave him a small nod in response. He looked calm enough, anyway, so Akoya found a comfortable place to sit and leaned back to watch the show.

At first, there wasn't much to see. En slept away, so deeply that he might have been dead save for the shuttling of his eyes behind his lids and the gradual rise and fall of his chest. He didn't seem to be taking more than one breath a minute.

"I can see the palace," En murmured. "People talking... worried... I can see King Io and Prince Ryuu... saying..." His voice changed suddenly, becoming a near-perfect replica of Io's. "...Had to have been him. He knows he can't go back to his home country now that he's turned on Kinshiro, and he has every reason to think we'd never take him back. Of course he'd go to someone who isn't part of this mess and try to strike a deal with him any way he could." A long sigh. "This is getting out of hand. At this point, even if we can find him, I don't think we can pardon him without provoking Kinshiro into war. If only we hadn't jumped to conclusions, we could have stopped this before it started. Now I'm starting to be afraid it's too late..."

En began to cough, and after a second or three of that, he opened his eyes and sat up.

"That's all I could get," he said. "Was it any help?"

"Yes," said Akoya, with feeling. It didn't really clear up the matter of the impending war, but he had gotten one important fact from the conversation: that Io and Ryuu had realized he was innocent. They wanted him back. If he had been alone, he would have sobbed with relief. He hadn't let himself think too hard about what he was going to do if the two of them refused to ever give him a second chance. If they had realized somehow - heard it from Kinshiro, perhaps – that he really had gone over to their side, then maybe there was still hope for reconciliation.

But not, apparently, if there was a war going on. Io was right to say he couldn't afford to forgive Akoya for starting a war, no matter how much he might have liked to.

 _So, I need to find a way to call all this off in such a way that Kinshiro absolutely can't pin anything on me or on Io and Ryuu. Hmm..._

"Wizard En," he said at last, "have you any skill with illusions?"

En gave him an irritated look. "Well, sure. That's beginner's magic. Anyone with an ounce of skill can do illusions."

"Good," said Akoya. "In that case, I think I know someone who can help us..."


	10. In Which Atsushi Continues a Trend

Atsushi walked slowly down a narrow street, looking lost. He had not been to this part of the city before, and now that he had, he didn't like it. With the shadows lengthening around him, the dark alleys and drooping awnings gave him the uneasy sense that anyone could be hiding anywhere. His footfalls and those of his companion were entirely too loud in a street where the only other sounds were a few buzzing flies and the scrape of a dog lazily scratching itself.

"Hello?" he called. "Is anyone there?"

His companion, an old man in a ragged cloak, looked around warily. He clutched at Atsushi's arm in a timid sort of way, pointing to one of the wider alleys. Atsushi followed the direction the arthritic finger was pointing, and thought he saw a glimmer of movement. He removed his glasses and squinted, making a show of looking uncertain and helpless.

"Can anyone help me?" he asked. "I'm a little lost. Please, is someone there?"

The flicker resolved itself into a quartet of beery, red-faced men. Atsushi observed that they were also slightly bruised men, as though they had been in a fight not too very long ago. They were nevertheless watching Atsushi with grins that did not look as friendly and welcoming as they probably thought. In spite of himself, Atsushi felt a chill crawl down his spine.

 _I don't like this plan, I don't like it, I don't like it at all..._ Why had he ever told anyone that he thought being kidnaped was fun? It was one thing when someone as friendly as Akoya had done it. These people looked like they would happily tie him up and stuff him in a closet for a week if they thought there was anything in it for them. He forced himself to smile and look at least somewhat relaxed.

"Oh, thank goodness," he said. "Can you help me? I seem to have gotten separated from my party somehow."

"That's too bad," said the lead man with his false, toothy smile. "Lucky for you, we're really helpful guys. We'd be glad to give you a hand." His beady eyes traveled over Atsushi from top to toe, taking in the worth of his jewelry and the fineness of his clothes. Atsushi could almost hear the click of the abacus as he tallied up Atsushi's worth.

"Yeah," said one of his friends. "For one thing, we can lighten your load a bit..."

He made a clumsy grab for Atsushi's purse. Atsushi dodged the grasping hand, trying to turn it into a casual movement, as though he'd merely decided to turn and consult with his friend.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Should we let these guys help?"

His companion nodded. He was, to all appearances, an old man of perhaps seventy or eighty, with a curly white beard and great bushy eyebrows over watery blue eyes. The hood of his robe was pulled down low, making the wrinkles of his face seem deeper and darker than they might have in full sunlight. He nodded slowly.

"We could certainly use some help," he said in a reedy, quavering voice.

The louts grinned at each other. Atsushi could almost hear them thinking. They may or may not have been willing to pick a quarrel with a healthy young man, but this old codger was nearly as well-dressed and didn't look like he could run away from a toddler.

"Sure, we can help," said the third of the louts. "Hey, I have an idea - how about we go get a drink together? You can tell us all about it, huh?"

"Well, I don't know," said Atsushi. "I really need to get back to my group..."

"No problem," said the biggest of the men, the one who seemed to be the leader. "We'll be glad to do it... for a price."

"Um, I don't know," said Atsushi hesitantly. "I really haven't got..."

He didn't finish speaking before someone had grabbed him and twisted him around. The next thing he knew, someone had his arms pinioned and someone else was going through his belt pouches.

"Hey!" he yelped. He couldn't help it; when they'd hatched this plan, he hadn't envisioned this. "What do you think you're doing? Let go of me!"

"In a minute," said the man rifling his pockets. Atsushi watched helplessly as all his money went into the man's hands. "Would you look at this? The guy's a walking gold mine."

"Shake him down good," said one of the others. "See what else he's got on him."

"Someone grab the old man!" someone else said. "Don't let him call the guards!"

The old man turned and began trying to totter away, but he was easily apprehended. His assailant began patting him down for valuables.

"Please, don't hurt me," the old man begged. "I have nothing to give you..."

"Well, then, you're just outta luck, ain't you, grandpa?" the man grabbing him replied.

"Better get rid of him," the lead man replied. "Knock him out."

"Don't hurt him!" Atsushi protested. He hadn't planned on anyone getting hurt on this jaunt. He hoped Akoya had known what he was doing when he came up with this idea.

"Hey, you're in no position to tell us what to do," his captor replied.

"Please," the old man rasped, "let me go. If you let me go, I'll tell you something that will make it worth your while."

The man who'd seized him rolled his eyes. "Do you really think we're going to fall for that?"

"It's true!" said the old man frantically. "Just promise not to hurt us, and I'll tell you how you can get a lot of money - a lot more than you can get just from rifling our pockets."

The lead goon swaggered closer, looking down into the old man's shadowed face. Atsushi held his breath and prayed that this would all go according to plan.

"Tell you what," said the lout. "You tell me first, and if I like the sound of it, maybe I'll let you go."

The old man cast Atushi a look. Atsushi nodded, very slightly. _Go on, go on, tell him..._

"I'll tell you the truth," said the old man. "This isn't just any merchant or guild master. This man is a visiting prince - Prince Atsushi of the house of Kinugawa, ruling family of the Arborean Empire."

That got a reaction. Atsushi watched their captors exchanging looks that mingled surprise, avarice, disbelief, and fear.

"You're having us on," said the one who'd rifled Atsushi's pockets. "No way this is a prince. What's he doing out here without an entourage?"

"I really am a prince," Atsushi piped up, feeling it was his turn to contribute. "I told you. I was at a show the king arranged as welcome for me, and someone attacked, and I ran away, and now I'm here."

"You know," said one of the men thoughtfully, "there was supposed to be a prince in town today. They hung up banners and things all over the main street."

"Yeah," said one of his companions," but that doesn't make him a prince."

"I can prove it," said Atsushi. He held up one hand, as much as he could with someone holding on to his arm. "Take off my glove. I'm wearing my signet ring underneath. That will prove I am who I say I am."

There was a ring there, of course. Atsushi didn't usually wear it - it was bulky and uncomfortable and didn't fit as well as it should have - but he'd put it on just for this outing and this moment. Sure enough, the pocket-picker jerked off his glove and seized on the thick gold ring with its heavy emerald surrounded by glinting diamonds. The band was old and worn, but still clearly showed the shape of Atsushi's family crest on both sides of the setting.

"Looks like a signet to me, all right," he said.

"Gimme that," said the leader. He jerked it out of his comrade's hands and held it up to the fading sunlight. "Yep, that's some kind of a family crest, all right. Well, boy, if you aren't a prince, I'm betting you're at least somebody."

"That's right, that's right," said the old man, painfully eager. "If you send word to his people, they'll pay handsomely in ransom."

"Huh," said the leader thoughtfully. He looked down at the ring again. Atsushi could almost hear him making the calculations in his head, thinking of how much this ring alone was worth, thinking of how much else Atsushi's people must have to spend, thinking of their reputation as peacemakers and diplomats rather than warriors. Even if he realized he would have to go through King Io to get to Atsushi's retinue, Io hadn't been king long enough to establish himself as a disciplinarian. If anything, Atsushi got the feeling that Io was more inclined to try peaceful means before resorting to harsh punishment. The man certainly wasn't thinking about how he'd deal with Kinshiro.

"Please," said the old man. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my prince."

"Fine," said the leader. "In that case, tell us how we get a message to this guy's people?"

"I'd be willing to act as a go-between," said the old man. "I'm his highness's seneschal. His people will know me and trust me."

The man narrowed his eyes. "And how do I know you aren't just trying to run away and save your own skin?"

"I can assure you," said the old man, "my first loyalty is always to my prince. All I want is for you to let him go without hurting him, and if I have to arrange payment for your lenience, I will."

"You can trust him," said Atsushi. His mouth was dry. The thought of being left alone with these people, even for a minute...

"If it will make you feel better," said the old man, "you can all come with me and watch the negotiations. In fact, that might be for the best. Everyone will be able to see and understand that you're serious, and I have the authority to order his men not to attack you. You can be assured of your own safety as long as we all cooperate with each other." Despite the quavering quality of his voice, he spoke fluently and with conviction.

"Huh," said the lead man again. He stared hard at the old man. "You sure that's all that's going to happen? We walk in, you make your negotiations, and we walk out with... what? A thousand gilt? Two thousand?"

"I'm probably worth at least five," said Atsushi helpfully. "Maybe more."

The men exchanged glances. Five thousand gilt was an appropriately princely sum, Atsushi knew. You could buy a rather nice house for two thousand.

"If this is some kind of trick," said the leader, "you know you're both dead, right?"

"I understand," said the old man.

Atsushi nodded. "You have my word - once you get your money, I'll make sure no one lifts a finger against you."

Well, he meant that honestly, more or less. It wasn't as though he was planning on giving these people any money at all, and he doubted anyone else was either.

"On your honor as a prince?" the man asked skeptically.

Atsushi nodded. That was easy enough to promise.

"All right, then," the lout replied. Atsushi could see him relaxing already, his worries about guards and arrests being replaced with dreams of what he would do with his share of five thousand gilt. Or maybe, Atsushi thought, he was just thinking of what he'd do with five thousand gilt. Atsushi wouldn't put it past him to just take the money and run if he thought he could get away with it. "Which way do we go?"

"To the palace," said the old man immediately. "That's where he's staying."

"Fine," said the leader. He glanced to his men. "Tie them up."

The men scowled a little, apparently not happy about being ordered around, but they moved to comply. The old man backed away a little, his expression fearful.

"Must you?" he asked. "My old bones..."

He held up his arms, revealing knobby hands on sticklike wrists. Clearly, he was saying, there was no reason to tie him up when he so obviously didn't have the strength to fight back.

"You can leave him free," the boss decided. "He can't run away, and he's not going to pull any funny stuff while we've got his prince under wraps."

The old man babbled his thanks, bowing and scraping as much as his crooked back would allow. Atsushi was forced to endure the indignity of having his wrists tied behind his back.

 _This had better be worth it,_ he thought. He wished plaintively that En were here. Having a wizard nearby would have been so reassuring.

But as his captors began marching him off towards the palace, his self-proclaimed seneschal hobbled closer to him. The men were dragging him up the street now, and the old man was having to hobble as fast as he could just to keep up with them all. He was still falling steadily further and further behind them. Atsushi wondered about this, until he felt a gentle tug at his wrists, and the bonds holding him loosened just a little. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

 _It's going to be okay. I've just got to hang in there._

The five of them continued marching up the street. As they drew nearer to areas where there were more people, one of the men removed his own cloak and flung it over Atsushi to hide both his face and the bonds holding his wrists. Nobody paid much attention to them. Atsushi wondered if this sort of thing went on very often in this part of town. If it did, he was going to have to have some serious discussions with King Io later about his security.

The little group continued marching through the street. Atsushi kept his head raised and attempted to look as though nothing were wrong. The last thing he needed at this point was for someone to figure out that these people were suspicious and try to rescue him. He needed to get himself and Akoya into the palace before the next stage of the plan could take place, and that meant not getting rescued. For the moment, at least, Atsushi was willing to act like everything was under control, and hope Akoya knew what he was doing. Instead, he tried to distract himself with thoughts of what he was going to do when all this was over.

 _I'm going to see Kinshiro again._ It had been a long time since their relationship had fallen apart. He'd seen a few other men since then, but never with any real commitment. Some part of him had always held out hope that somehow, he and Kinshiro would get back in touch, and everything could be the way it had been before. He hadn't imagined it would be like this, though.

 _I wonder how much he's changed._ The way Akoya had described it, Kinshiro hadn't taken things very well, understandably enough. What if he'd changed so much that when they were finally together again, he realized they weren't as compatible as they were before? What if Akoya was wrong, and Kinshiro wasn't willing to accept his innocence after all?

 _I won't let him get away this time. I'll keep trying until he understands that I really do love him._

Just up ahead, he could see the soaring spires of the royal palace. Somewhere in there, Kinshiro was waiting for him. Any minute now, they would be face to face again. Atsushi felt his heart rate pick up for reasons that had nothing to do with his kidnaping.

 _Wait for me just a little longer,_ Atsushi thought. _This time, I promise I'll do things right!_

* * *

"I am going to go down in history," Io muttered. "I'm going to be the king with the briefest reign this kingdom has ever had. Assuming there's even a kingdom left after all this is over."

Ryuu put an arm around him. "It's not so bad. Our army is in better shape than his, and our economy is more stable - you said so yourself. We might come through this okay. There's even still a chance we'll find the prince and get him back before it all falls apart."

Io gave his consort a weak smile. He appreciated what Ryuu was trying to do for him. He really was lucky, he thought, to have someone who was willing to stand beside him even at a time like this, when a lesser man might have cut and run.

 _Maybe if I had been so steadfast with Akoya, we wouldn't be in this mess._

Io pushed that thought aside as being unhelpful. Dwelling on what might have been was not his style, especially when he had a problem that needed solving right now. Still, it was hard not to wish that Akoya was there and ready to offer advice on how to deal with Kinshiro, or at least to use his particular brand of diplomacy to smooth things over.

 _But if he was here, it wouldn't make things any better._ If he ever found Akoya again, odds were he'd either have to execute him, or hand him over to one of his neighbors for the same treatment, or else find a way to smuggle him out of the kingdom and off to somewhere far away where no one had ever heard of him. Either way, it didn't bode well for their future lives together. No matter how this turned out, Io was going to have to live with this lonely ache for the rest of his life.

"Sometimes I really hate being king," he muttered.

Ryuu just leaned his head against Io's shoulder and didn't say anything. Io appreciated that. He was running out of patience with false hope.

Just then, there was a commotion out in the hallway. Both men looked up, expecting the worst. Instead, what appeared in his doorway was one of his guards.

"Your majesty!" he exclaimed, eyes wide and amazed. "The missing prince is here!"

Io and Ryuu looked at each other in astonishment.

"Alone?" Io asked hesitantly.

"No, Sire," said the guard, still sounding bewildered. "There are men with him, strangers. They say they're holding him for ransom, and they won't return him unless someone pays their price and guarantees them safe passage."

Ah. Well, that explained the looks of bafflement. On the one hand, no one wanted to make a move that might injure a prince and cause an international incident. On the other hand, if there had ever been a clumsier attempt to kidnap royalty, Io had never heard of it.

"Strangers, you said," he answered carefully. "You're sure there was no one there you recognized?"

"No one," the guard assured him. "They look like locals, but no one we can identify."

Not Akoya, then. It was almost too good to believe. Io had been so certain that this kidnaping had been Akoya's doing, but if it had all been one big ugly coincidence... Io felt his spirits begin cautiously lifting. There might just be a happy ending in this situation, after all. That was, of course, assuming that Akoya was still out there somewhere, waiting for all the fuss to die down, and not on his way to the ports to buy a berth on a ship bound for the Saffron Isles.

"I see," he said slowly. "I think I need to see this for myself."

He stood up, beckoning for Ryuu to follow him. Ryuu bounded towards the door, and Io guessed from his expression that he'd been making some calculations very similar to the ones Io had been making. As long as Akoya wasn't involved in this situation anywhere, there was still a chance of resolving everything peacefully.

 _If all this works out, I'll pay a magician to search for Akoya. I'm sure I remember someone saying that Prince Atsushi had brought one in his retinue. We'll get Atsushi back safely, get him and Kinshiro sorted out, and then we'll fetch Akoya back, and we won't make this sort of mistake a second time._

They walked together towards the throne room, collecting a contingent of guards along the way. After all, these newcomers might seem to be incompetent, but there was always the chance that they were some sort of distraction, meant to keep all eyes on them while their comrades did something even more devious... although what could be worth the gamble of tampering with a prince, Io had no idea. Better to be careful, just in case.

For a fleeting moment, Io remembered the night Akoya had saved his life from the assassin. It was a pity he couldn't be here right now. Surely he'd find some way to navigate through this mess, doubtless with his usual flamboyant style. That would be fun to watch.

 _But no, I shouldn't be wishing he was here. This is the last place he needs to be right now. I want him to stay as far away as he can get until this whole kidnapping thing settles down..._

He entered the throne room through a side door and made a quick scan of the situation. Standing in the very center of the room, as far from the guards as they could get, was a group of ruffians. Atsushi himself stood at the center of the group, head bowed, arms tied behind his back. Kinshiro stood in the far doorway, staring at Atsushi as if he were water in the desert. Two bright spots stood out on his cheeks, and he seemed to be trembling slightly, as though it were a struggle to keep himself from simply flinging himself into the crowd and snatching Atsushi away. Arima stood next to him, apparently trying to keep him calm and not having very much luck. Lurking near the edge of the group of ruffians, with them without being part of them, was a bent old man in a hooded cloak. He caught Io's eye, then glanced away quickly. Io frowned.

"That old man," he whispered to Ryuu. "Isn't there something familiar about him? I'd swear I'd never seen him before, and yet there's something..."

"You're right," Ryuu replied. "I can't put my finger on it, but there's something..." He gave a start suddenly, eyes widening. "His clothes!"

Io was surprised enough to turn to stare at his husband. "What?"

"Don't look at his face - look at his clothes! Imagine the cloak is gone, and just look at him from the neck down."

Io stared. He didn't have the eye for clothes that Ryuu did, but now that it had been pointed out, he could see there _was_ something familiar about them. Not just the clothes themselves, either, but the way they draped over the body that wore them. Io had never seen an old man with legs like those before.

 _No. No, it couldn't be..._

Then the old man raised his head and twitched the edge of his hood back just a bit. It was just for a second, but in that moment, Io could see that the man's face was no longer lined with age, but smooth and youthful. The eyes were no longer watery and nearsighted, but huge and bright blue, with thick dark lashes. One of them closed in a quick wink before the hood was pulled down a little. Io felt a sinking feeling.

 _Oh, no. This can't be good._


	11. In Which Everyone Goes Home

Akoya surveyed the throne room as if he'd been away for years instead of overnight.

 _Home, sweet home,_ he thought, wryly amused. Well, he was going to have to step lightly if he was going to make this his home again. He hoped his unwitting accomplices would perform up to par. That was an unpredictable thing, considering the quality of material he had to work with. He hoped devoutly that these men had been living their unlawful lifestyle long enough to avoid doing something so stupid as to get them arrested and hauled away at once. It was going to be a delicate balance. He wanted them to be stupid, yes, but only stupid enough to get all eyes on them for a few seconds...

Kinshiro managed to tear his eyes off of Atsushi as Io and Ryuu entered the room.

"This is an affront," he blustered. "How dare you allow ruffians such as these to manhandle a prince? I demand that you have these men arrested and executed at once!"

 _Bless Kinshiro,_ Akoya thought fondly. _Of course he would decide to make a scene right about now._

Well, drama was what Akoya needed. With all eyes on Kinshiro, Akoya began edging slowly off to the side, concentrating on looking bowed and frightened, as if he was too terrified of this riffraff to want to be near them a second longer.

Io gave Kinshiro a long cool look.

"I am king here," he said mildly, "and I will decide how to mete out justice." He turned his attention on the man who seemed to be the leader. "I see you've brought our lost prince back to us. We are grateful. If you let him go now and back down quietly, we will be lenient."

"Oh, no," said the leader. "That's not how we're going to negotiate. We're gonna talk this out man to man, with none of these guards." A casual movement, and suddenly a knife was in his hand, hovering close to Atsushi's throat. "Otherwise, I might get nervous, and my hand might slip."

Kinshiro sucked in a breath and made a movement as if he might rush forward and snatch the knife away. Arima put a hand on Kinshiro's shoulder, restraining him. Io bit his lip, looking torn. Akoya chanced raising his head again, and found Ryuu staring directly at him.

 _Please, trust me,_ Akoya thought. He nodded, ever so slightly, and saw comprehension flash across Ryuu's face. Ryuu leaned towards Io and whispered something to him, and Io's eyebrows rose slightly. Nevertheless, he raised his head and fixed the lead kidnapper with a confident look.

"Very well," he said. "Would everyone who is not directly involved in this negotiation please leave?"

There was a general migration towards the exit, as guards, courtiers, and servants began slinking out of the room, casting looks back over their shoulders. Akoya took the opportunity to begin edging away.

"I'm not leaving," said Kinshiro flatly.

"I stay where Prince Kinshiro stays," Arima chimed in.

Io looked to the man with the knife. "Well? May Prince Kinshiro and his companion remain?"

Akoya could almost hear the calculations going on in the man's head, as he weighed the danger of having even more royalty in the room versus the benefit of extra leverage. Kinshiro wasn't making any effort at hiding the desperation on his face, and the looks Atsushi was sending him were equally filled with longing. It would, Akoya thought, be rather romantic under other circumstances. He eased a few more steps towards the exit and tucked himself discretely out of sight behind a carved pillar. With all eyes on the drama in the center of the room, he didn't think even the ever-savvy Ryuu noticed him.

"They can stay," said the lead man grandly. "But if they've got any weapons on 'em, they'd better give them up."

Kinshiro looked less than happy about that, but he made a show of removing the ceremonial sword from his belt and kicking it towards a far corner. Arima removed several knives and tossed them away.

 _I didn't know he carried knives,_ Akoya thought, momentarily distracted from removing the last of his disguise. The things he learned about that man would never cease to amaze him. He dropped his cloak on the floor and kicked it into a shadowed corner.

"Good," said the tough with the knife. He swept a last look around the room, checking for any possible dangers. When he saw nothing, he continued, "Now, here's how we're going to do this. We're going to negotiate a price for this prince. You're going to give us the money and guarantee us safe passage - no following us, no sending the guards after us as soon as we're out of the room. Once we've got the money in our hands, we'll take our friend here..." He gave Atsushi a nudge. "...with us to the edge of town. We'll turn him loose there, don't worry - we don't need to carry some useless spoiled prince with us across the desert. We'll be keeping a sharp eye out, and if we see any tails following us, we'll kill him and run. Otherwise, he'll be free to walk home. You'll get your prince, we'll have our money, and everyone will be happy. All right?"

"And what sort of price would you ask for a prince?" Io asked. "I'm assuming you had a number in mind?"

The lout grinned, clearly thinking he'd found an easy mark. "Why don't you make me an offer?"

 _Well, that's going to go over well,_ Akoya thought, amused. He began scampering up the side of the pillar, taking advantage of its elaborate carvings to give himself footholds. He wished briefly that he'd been wearing his soft dancing slippers, and not the clumsy walking shoes he'd been wearing, but he could cope. It was a good thing, he thought, that Io had never gone through with his tentative plans of simplifying his throne room.

A good thing, too, that he hadn't had time to take down some of Akoya's performance apparatus. Many of Akoya's routines involved suspending himself from ropes and other objects attached to the ceiling. The last props Akoya had used were still there, as were the ropes and scaffolds the staff had used to fix them in place.

 _And a good thing I'm not afraid of heights,_ Akoya mused, as he carefully clambered his way across a series of decorative carvings. _I feel like some sort of spider. There's a thought I never thought I'd have._

He gritted his teeth and focused his attention on getting safely to his goal. Below him, he could hear the negotiations continuing.

"...understand the sentiment," said Io in his best businesslike tones, "but you must understand that this is not a cash-rich kingdom. Much of my resources have already been spent on improving the state of the kingdom."

"He's a prince," said one of the men, pointing at Kinshiro. "If he's so interested in the guy, let him pay part of the ransom."'

Kinshiro scowled. "I don't have that sort of money with me. It would take me days to get it transported this far, even if I could persuade the treasury to release those funds to me. My great-uncle still rules, not I."

"I do have saleable goods I can offer you," said Io placatingly. "Perhaps if we loaded them into a caravan wagon...?"

"You're just trying to slow us down," the lead kidnapper snapped. "Look, stop whining about being poor. Scrape together all the cash you have and bring it in here now, or..."

They never found out what threat he was going to make, because at that moment, Akoya came swooping down from the ceiling, swinging on one of the ropes to crash into the middle of their party. He'd aimed his descent well - his outstretched feet rammed into the side of the man with the knife, and he and his weapon spilled to the floor. Atsushi, who had been anticipating just such an event, ducked out of the way and tumbled across the floor to relative safety. Akoya let go of his rope and dropped lightly to his feet. He flashed the men a winning smile.

"Hello, boys," he crooned. "Remember me? I thought I told you not to get into so much mischief."

"You again," the leader snarled. "I thought you'd have learned your lesson the last time!"

"That's my line," said Akoya primly. "You don't seem to have healed from the last time we met. Some people just don't learn, do you?"

"Boss!" shouted one of the men, pointing towards Atsushi. "He's getting away!"

"Then get him back!" the boss shouted.

"Oh, no you don't!" said Akoya.

He seized the man who had been trying to grab the escaping Atsushi and hauled him back. Confusion reigned as some of the men tried to grab for Atsushi, some for Akoya, and some apparently trying to make a break for it. Akoya didn't like that - he didn't want them to get away before he was finished with them. The more convincingly he could thrash them, the better it would be - for him, at least.

"This will teach you to try to rob me," said Akoya, almost conversationally, as he kneed one of the men in the solar plexus. The man doubled over, suddenly unable to breathe. "Though, really, I'd have thought last time would have been enough."

One of the men tried to make a break for it. He got as far as the door before he was nabbed by the guards, who had apparently not gone very far. Two more came at Akoya and tried their best to surround him, one coming at him from the front while the other snuck up behind. Akoya dodged just fast enough to avoid taking a cudgel to the face, and was annoyed to feel someone yanking hard on his braid.

"How dare you!" Akoya yelped. He whirled on the attacker and struck, driving the heel of his hand as hard as he could into the man's chin. The man staggered backwards, and Akoya yanked his hair back with an irritated jerk before his erstwhile assailant could fall over while still holding on to it.

"Nobody grabs my hair!" he said with righteous indignation. He was about to turn back to deal with his second attacker when it dawned on him that he'd lost track of the leader of the gang. Where _had_ the awful man run off to?

"If he's escaped..." Akoya muttered.

But he hadn't escaped. A cry of fear and outrage drew everyone's attention to the far side of the room, where Kinshiro and Arima had been watching the drama unfold. The lead ruffian had apparently decided that one prince was as good as another, and had gone after Kinshiro. Akokya couldn't help but grimace.

 _You lovestruck fool - you never took your eyes off Atsushi for an instant, did you?_

Well, now what was he supposed to do? Akoya hadn't planned on this - he'd trusted in his ability to beat these fools again as he had before, and he'd taken the precaution of making sure Atsushi could get his hands free if things turned ugly. He hadn't given a thought about anyone else in the room. Even now, he could see Arima edging closer to where he'd tossed his knives, but the odds of him actually deciding to use them were slim. He might have affected a vague and silly manner at times, but he was no fool, and he adored Kinshiro more than anyone. He'd never make a move that might put him in danger, and there was little chance he could get past Kinshiro's captor when that captor had a knife to Kinshiro's throat.

Before Akoya could react, there was a squawk of outrage from, of all people, Atsushi.

"Get your hands off my fiancé!" he shouted.

The ruffian laughed. "Oh, is this one yours? You gonna make me, little prince?"

He threw back his head and laughed. That was why he didn't see Atsushi shrug off his bonds and seize on the nearest movable object, which turned out to be a heavy bronze vase. He gave it a mighty heave and hurled it across the room, where it struck the big man squarely in the forehead. It made a surprisingly melodious ringing sound as it struck. The man abruptly stopped laughing. His knife nicked a thin line of red across Kinshiro's white throat before Kinshiro was able to jump away.

 _Well, that's one problem taken care of._

For a moment, there was stillness in the hall, broken only by the sound of tense breathing. Akoya realized that the man he'd been fighting with was still staring, amazed, at the downfall of his leader. Akoya turned around and punched the man in the nose. The man stopped watching in favor of dropping to his knees and clapping his hands over his face while blood poured between his fingers. Akoya ignored him, instead looking around the room to see if there was anything else he was going to need to deal with. There didn't seem to be - all of the would-be kidnappers were either unconscious, incapacitated, or in the hands of the guards. There was no one left for Akoya to deal with... no one but Kinshiro, Ryuu, and Io.

He hadn't been afraid of the ruffians. He knew how to fight back against them. Just now, suddenly, Akoya was afraid.

Arima was the first to pull himself together. He approached Kinshiro with a handkerchief in one hand.

"You're hurt," he said gently, reaching out to dab at the cut on Kinshiro's throat.

"Hm?" said Kinshiro. He reached up to touch the cut and drew his fingers back with a smear of red on them. "Oh, that. It's nothing."

Atsushi hurried across the floor towards him. "Kinshiro, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just a scratch," said Kinshiro distractedly. "Are _you_ all right? Those men - if they hurt you..."

"I'm fine. They just scared me a little, that's all," said Atsushi. "Seeing you get hurt scared me more." He reached out to brush Kinshiro's disheveled hair back in place. Kinshiro went a vivid red.

"I'm safe, thanks to you," he said. "You saved me. You... you called me your fiancé."

It was Atsushi's turn to blush. "Well, we never formally broke it off. As far as I'm concerned, we're still engaged." He paused, looking worried. "Unless... you _want_ to break it off?"

"No!" Kinshiro blurted. "I mean... Atsushi, about before... the reason I stopped replying to you..."

Atsushi held up a hand. "It's all right. It doesn't really matter. We can talk about it later, if you want, but the important thing is that we're together now, right?"

Kinshiro offered a hesitant smile. "And we're going to stay together this time."

"That's right," said Atsushi. "I've never wanted to be with anyone but you, so as long as you feel the same way..."

"I do," said Kinshiro. "I've never loved anyone but you, Atsushi. I don't think I ever could."

"Good," said Atsushi. "So I can tell my parents the wedding is back on?"

" _Absolutely,_ " said Kinshiro. "Tell them it will be soon."

"That's just what I wanted to hear," said Atsushi.

The two of them stood together, clasping each other's hands and gazing into each other's eyes. The rest of the room might as well have not existed. Arima looked on, beaming like a proud father, while Ryuu and Io stood a little ways away, looking faintly puzzled.

 _Somehow,_ Akoya thought, _I'm not convinced my reunion with them is going to be quite so overwhelmingly positive._ Still, he had no choice but to face the music. He turned around and gave them an inquiring look.

"Well?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you going to behead me now?"

"You _idiot!_ " Ryuu exclaimed. He darted forward and smacked Akoya's arm. "What did you think you were trying to pull?"

"That's a fine way to say thank you," Akoya huffed. "I was under the impression that I just helped stop a war. Unless Prince Kinshiro and his fiancé still feel inclined to march on us?"

Kinshiro glanced at Atsushi. "What do you think? Do you forgive them for letting you be kidnapped?"

"I think I can let it slide," said Atsushi, smiling, "since our friend here was kind enough to get me un-kidnapped."

"Fair enough," said Kinshiro. His gaze shifted to Akoya. "I'm still not altogether pleased about you walking out on me, but for this, I can forgive you. Any time you change your mind, feel free to come home."

"Thank you, Kinshiro," said Akoya, "and I hope we can still be friends... but I know where my home is." He glanced back at Io and Ryuu. "Assuming they'll let me stay."

"I think that's something we need to talk about," said Io. He turned to Kinshiro and Atsushi. "I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do. Feel free to enjoy the hospitality of my palace as long as you like. Guards, clean up this mess," he added, waving at the various stricken men on his floor. "Akoya, you come with us."

Stomach sinking, Akoya made a perfunctory bow to Kinshiro and Atsushi before following Io and Ryuu into one of the lesser audience chambers. He had dared to hope that if Kinshiro, master of the long-term grudge, could forgive him, then someone gentler would surely be willing to let bygones be bygones. If they were insisting on talking to him in private, though...

They reached the chamber, and Ryuu shut the door firmly behind them. As soon as the three of them were safely in private, Io turned and fixed Akoya with a look.

"Now," he said, "do you want to explain what just happened?"

"What's to explain?" Akoya asked. "Someone just tried to hold Prince Atsushi for ransom. I stopped them. Atsushi and Kinshiro are happy together again, Kinshiro has agreed not to invade, and everyone is happy."

"Come off it," said Io. "I know you. You're a performer. Everything you do is an act. I want to know what's going on behind the scenes."

Akoya raised an eyebrow. "And you'll listen this time? No jumping to conclusions and storming out of the room?"

Io opened his mouth to reply, paused a moment, then shut it again. Ryuu began to laugh. He came over to put an arm around his husband.

"He's got you dead to rights," he said.

Io smiled slightly. "All right, all right, I'll admit it. I overreacted. I should have listened when you staid you were innocent."

"You certainly should have," said Akoya loftily. Then he softened. "But I understand why you did it. I'm not angry. I just want to come home."

He looked at them pleadingly, holding his breath.

 _This isn't an act. Please believe me..._

"Of course you can come home," said Io gently. "We want you back."

Akoya sighed with relief. "Thank you."

Ryuu laughed and spread his arms wide. "Aw, c'mere, you."

Akoya gratefully let himself fall into the embrace. Io put his arms around him from the other side, and for a few seconds, the world was exactly as it should be.

 _I'm never going to leave again. This is where I belong._

"So," said Ryuu into his ear, "now that we've got you pinned down, how about explaining to us what _really_ just happened?"

"Cheater," Akoya accused, but he was laughing. "Are you sure you want to hear it all? We were having such a nice reunion."

"Don't worry," said Io. "We aren't going to change our minds. I think we've guessed a lot of it already."

"Besides," said Ryuu, "if you're going to get into trouble when we aren't watching you, that's just another good reason for us to keep you close where we can keep an eye on you."

"Fair enough," said Akoya, smiling. "All right, then. In the interest of keeping you happy with me, I'll tell all. It started like this..."

* * *

There was a lively crowd gathered in the pavilion outside Kinshiro's palace. All of them were dressed in their finest clothes - and given the quality of people Kinshiro had invited to sit with him at his wedding feast, this was very fine indeed. All of them were laughing, chatting, sipping wine and helping themselves to whatever they fancied from the trays servers were passing around. Two weeks ago, Kinshiro's great-uncle had finally passed away peacefully in his sleep. Today was the day of Kinshiro's official coronation, as well as his long-awaited wedding to Prince Atsushi. The two of them sat side by side now, at the center of the table, holding hands and gazing fondly at each other, while the food on their plates went uneaten. Arrayed on either side of them were various honored friends and guests, among them Arima, Io, Ryuu, and the new court wizard En. They, at least, were taking advantage of the bounty laid out for them, and enjoying the entertainment going on in the courtyard in front of them.

Eventually, the act finished, and everyone applauded - even the hosts, a bit belatedly. Akoya, pleased with his performance, swept his way back onto the pavilion, dropped into his seat, and snatched up a glass of pomegranate juice. He gulped the drink down thirstily. He had put his all into that performance, and dancing out under the hot sun was a far cry from performing in a palace. Besides, he hadn't wanted to indulge too much in the wedding feast before he put on his performance, and he was famished now. He latched on to the first plate that came within grabbing distance and began popping dates filled with nuts and honey into his mouth.

"The food around here has improved considerably since you got married," he observed.

"When Atsushi moved in, he brought a retinue with him," said En knowledgeably, "including a cook."

"Well, it would have been insulting to turn him away," said Kinshiro. "It has made for an interesting change."

"That's his way of saying he likes it," said Arima, "and doesn't want to admit it's an improvement on what he had before."

Kinshiro shot him a look, and apparently decided to change the subject.

"I enjoyed your performance, Akoya," he said.

Akoya smiled. "Liar. You never even looked my way."

"I did," said Kinshiro, blushing.

"No, no," said Akoya, wagging a teasing finger at him. "I know when someone has their eyes on me and when they don't. I could have walked off that stage and gone to have a drink and you never would have noticed. You have eyes only for your charming new husband."

"That's only right and proper," said Io, sounding amused.

Akoya flashed a smug smile his way. "Now, at _our_ wedding, you watched every second of my performance."

"He was waiting for you to get it over with," Ryuu teased, "so we could get back to the good bits."

Akoya preened at that. He _had_ enjoyed his wedding. They had held it just before Kinshiro and Atsushi had departed for White Sands to start planning their own wedding. Akoya's family had been rather miffed that he'd gone and gotten married without their say-so or even inviting them, but the knowledge that he was wedded to a king had taken some of the sting off. It didn't really matter to Akoya. He was quite content where he was, doing what he loved, with the people he loved. Io had even given him a proper title: Minister of Entertainment. He enjoyed teasing Ryuu about that - pointing out that Akoya had an actual job title, and all Ryuu had was a title by marriage. It started the most amusing fights, and even more amusing reconciliations.

"Well, I thought your performance just now was excellent," said Io, who was a champion at ignoring Ryuu's remarks when it suited him.

"It's gonna be a hard act to follow," En agreed. Atsushi had twisted his arm until he'd agreed to put on a fireworks show later that evening. "Hey, are you sure we can't convince you to stick around? You could help me with the entertainment around here."

"I think you're up to the job," said Atsushi, giving his old friend a nudge. "You've done fine so far."

"I hope you'll at least come back to visit often," said Arima. "It's not the same without you around."

"I will," Akoya promised. "Consider me an ambassador."

"You do not need another title!" Ryuu complained.

Akoya laughed. "You're making me want the job."

"I'll think about it," said Io. "I suppose it is thanks in part to you that peaceful relations between our kingdoms have been restored, so you do have some qualifications."

Ryuu winced. "You all are ganging up on me. Io, if you're giving out titles, I want one too!"

"Maybe _you_ can be an ambassador," said Akoya. "I don't mind sharing."

And he didn't. He was glad to be here, celebrating with his friends, but he knew he didn't belong here anymore. He gazed fondly across the table at Ryuu and Io, knowing he looked every bit as besotted as Kinshiro and Atsushi were with each other, and not caring one bit. He had gone through a lot to be with them, and he knew it would be a long time before he didn't begrudge every second he had to spend away from them. So, for now, he would enjoy the celebration as much as he could.

But when it was over, he was going home.


End file.
